Grizzly Night Review
Grizzly Night is a very watchable flick about a killer bear attack, inspired by a true story. While it’s certainly no Jaws, it’s effective enough to make you think twice about heading back into the forest anytime soon. The film stars Oded Fehr (The Mummy), Brec Bassinger (Final Destination: Bloodlines), and Charles Esten (The Postman), and is directed by Burke Doeren.
This feels like the kind of movie that will do particularly well on streaming platforms. The bear itself is genuinely creepy, and the constant threat it poses hangs over the film nicely. It definitely put me off the idea of camping in the woods.
That said, the film isn’t without its issues. The dialogue is a bit weak at times, and some character motivations feel underdeveloped or slightly annoying. However, once the film gets going, it becomes much more engaging.
What also helps the film is its grounded tone and sense of realism. Knowing the story is inspired by real events gives the tension extra weight and makes the choices the characters make feel more unsettling. The film often focuses on human error and poor decision-making rather than spectacle, which adds to its impact. This approach may frustrate some viewers, but it ultimately makes the danger feel more believable and disturbing.
When the film reaches the night of the attacks, it really draws you in. The character development and conversations become more interesting, and you start to genuinely care about what happens to everyone involved. There’s also some excellent injury makeup on display, with credit due to the makeup department, as the effects are convincing and add to the tension. The bears themselves play a relatively small role, as the film focuses more on how events unfold and the mishandling of bear-related issues. This makes it more eye-opening about the real dangers of bears rather than a straight monster horror film.
There are also some stunning shots of the forest throughout, although that only added to my reluctance to ever want to go camping there again.
One thing to be aware of is that Grizzly Night isn’t quite the film it’s sold as. Despite what the trailers and poster suggest, this is more of a conversational, character-driven film than a straight-up monster horror. If you’re expecting nonstop bear attacks, you might be surprised. However, if you’re open to a slower burn with a strong atmosphere, it works well.
Overall, Grizzly Night is worth a watch, especially on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It may not reinvent the genre, but it’s engaging, creepy in places, and likely to find a solid audience on streaming platforms.
★★ 1/2
Available in the UK on Digtal and DVD Febauary 2nd/ Brec Bassinger, Oded Fehr, Charles Esten/ Dir. Bruke Doeren/ Lightbulb Film Distribution/ 15
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