#REVIEW: “SASQUATCH SUNSET”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

The Zellner Brothers bring audiences on a year long journey with a Sasquatch family.

We first meet this family consisting of a mother, father, and two children in Spring. We observe the dynamics of their group and The Zellner Brothers take no hesitation in introducing us to the natural lifestyle they live. This lifestyle includes but is not limited to grunting, humping, urinating and puking freely. For viewers unaware of The Zellner Brothers short Sasquatch Birth Journal 2 this will come as a shock. By the end of Spring, a life-changing event happens to this family that causes them to adapt.

As Summer arrives, the family’s dynamic is forced to change. We watch one son (Jesse Eisenberg) learn to become a leader and hunter and the mother (a magnificent Riley Keough) discovers she’s pregnant which will make her the sole protector of three children. To complicate their lives more, The Zellner Brothers lead them to discover manmade roads in their natural oasis. How the family react to each discovery throughout the seasons, especially in Fall when they wander onto a campsite, leads to comedic moments.

Eisenberg and Keough are sure to bring audiences to this indie, experimental film. But audiences searching for them in each frame won’t realize they’ve been watching them all along. TheMakeup is outstanding completely turning these actors into Sasquatches. And they deliver outstanding performances that demand intense physicality to convey their characters emotional state and language (which is spoken in an array of grunts).

No matter how strange this Film feels the Filmmakers have made it relatable. As Fall and Winter arrive, this family grows, learns new skills and understands threats just as us humans. They experience pain and heartbreak along with joy and companionship. They live through the death of loved ones and the birth of another. The takeaway: it doesn’t matter how different we are from each other, we all share the universal experience of living. Impressively, The Zellner Brothers and their cast convey this message without a single line of dialogue.

Sasquatch Sunset is sure to raise some eyebrows right off the top but as time goes by the oddities become normal as you become captivated by this family’s journey. Audience members are sure to be affected by this family’s journey. However, if you’re not, at least you can say you experienced the most unique film and heard one of the best scores of 2024.

levelFILM release SASQUATCH SUNSET on Friday, April 12, 2024.