The Weirdest Movie Of The Year Has No Dialogue And Stars A Family Of Bigfoots [SXSW 2024]
The history of cinema is littered with weird movies. For certain viewers these are special experiences, be it something for a very specific type of person to enjoy, or more of a challenge to be endured. It's difficult for me to say what camp "Sasquatch Sunset" falls into (that's probably for the individual to decide), but I can say with the utmost confidence that it is far and away the weirdest movie of 2024 thus far. If anything tops it before year's end, it's going to be an all-timer of an odd year at the movies. That much is certain.
Not to give the whole thing away here, as it's worth the experience for those who are game for something wildly offbeat, but we're talking about a movie with no human characters, lots of graphically gross moments, explicit Sasquatch sex, zero dialogue, and no subtitles to relay what is being communicated. That's just the tip of the iceberg; even the trailer can't possibly communicate the experience contained within the film itself.
The film recently screened at the SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas, and, as a big fan of Bigfoot and other such cryptid creatures, I couldn't pass up the chance to see it. Hailing from the Zellner Brothers, it boasts an impressive cast led by Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network") and Riley Keough ("Mad Max: Fury Road") who are, for the entirety of the film, decked out in wildly impressive Sasquatch makeup. They don't get a single line of actual dialogue — nor do any other members of the minimal cast, for that matter. Instead, it's just grunts and noises with no subtitles for the film's entire runtime.
Taking place in the misty forests of North America, the movie centers on a family of Sasquatches. We follow them through the highs and lows of a formative year in the wild as they fight for survival, contending with an ever-changing world around them.
A gross, weird look at one of mankind's great mythic creatures
It's not a horror movie, really, despite being produced by Ari Aster, the man behind "Midsommar" and "Hereditary." It certainly delves into horrific territory at times, but it's more of a slice-of-life movie that contains a lot of existential dread. That said, the mundane nature of the film makes the moments of horror pop even more, and only serves to add to the outlandishness of it all. And yes, it's all filtered through a family of Sasquatch. That filter makes the experience exceptionally strange. It's sort of like a Disney Nature documentary gone horribly awry.
I can only speak to personal experience but "Sasquatch Sunset" is about as weird as even remotely mainstream cinema ever gets. This movie hails from Bleecker Street, a legitimate but relatively small distributor, with actors people have heard of. Sure, weirder movies are made all of the time. But ones that secure distribution and a wide theatrical release? Find me a more bizarre movie that falls into that category and you'll find a very surprised man.
This isn't meant to be taken as a challenge or as a means to ward off potential viewers. My gut tells me the audience for this movie is relatively small. That said, my gut also tells me that the people who dig it are really going to dig it. /Film's Bill Bria gave the film a 7 out of 10 in his official review at Sundance. It's just worth understanding what one is getting into and, quite frankly, in a landscape that often feels devoid of original cinema, it's admirable that we are getting something so wildly original, peculiar though it may be.
"Sasquatch Sunset" arrives in select theaters on April 12, 2024, before opening nationwide on April 19.