This has the feel of an R rated National Geographic documentary. Sasquatch Sunset is billed as a comedy, but in truth there are few moments of hilarity. Most of the farcical moments also involve the discomfort of seeing the clan engaging in rather disgusting animal behavior, i.e. fornication, defecation and throwing feces. And, not one intelligible word is spoken, only grunts, screams, howls and some rhythmic pounding. This is the ultimate in Method acting. The actors went to a kind of boot camp before starting the shoot.
The filmmaking team of David and Nathan Zellner (Damsel, Kumiko) take us on an outrageous odyssey following a Sasquatch family, by season, over the course of a year. Even though there was a script with grunts written in, once they got in costume in the woods., they could take off on it. And they’d have to react if the weather changed or if they encountered animals in the woods, and there were many.
Watch for our Red Carpet interview at SXSW with Jesse Eisenberg, The Zellners and Christopher Zajac-Denek.
There must have been fascinating conversations explaining this concept to well respected actors Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, Nathan Zellner, and Christopher Zajac-Denek who wear full prosthetic suits covered in matted fur. Credit to Applied Arts FX Studio and Steve Newburn for the costume and facial make-up designs. It took 2 and a half hours to put on prosthetics and then add fur to the costumes. And the actors could embellish rubbing in dirt, mud or adding branches to give it their lived-in-look. And Riley Keough gets to have breasts as well as a baby bump in the film.
At first it’s difficult to discern who is who among the Big Foots. But, as in any good nature film, the individual characters emerge. Co-Director David Zellner, the tall one, is the Alpha Male who’s constantly horny and has devised a hand gesture to communicate his intent for fornication. Jesse Eisenberg, the other adult male, seems more sensitive. The lone female, played by Riley Keough, spends a lot of time checking out her private parts and fending off the others’ advances while she’s caring for her growing son (Christopher Zajac-Denek) who’s both needy and curious. His slapstick scene with a snapping turtle is well-played.
Background music from the Octopus Project, adds texture and helps communicate the message of this script without words. Riley Keough (Mad Max Fury Road, also sings “Creatures of Nature” over the credits. Lyrics by David Zellner.
Shot in the redwood forest of a Humboldt County, California, the scenic mountains, streams and dense woods provide a wondrous backdrop. Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis captures everything in detail from the mundane to the appalling Sasquatch behaviors.
One such hilarious scene is Sasquatch Jesse patiently grooming Sasquatch Nathan, looking for nits to pick off to eat. Jessie suddenly produces a loud, wet sneeze all over Nathan’s neck and back. Nathan does a comedy classic slow turn, fixes his stare on Jesse and then turns back around while Jesse resumes his bug hunt. Harkens back to old comedy bits.
There are some serious moments, too, dealing with life and death. And a peek into the future finding evidence of a modern world that completely enrages these creatures. The Zellners have always been fascinated by America’s mythological Sasquatch as a link between animals and humans. They push the envelope with completely unrecognizable actors who lose themselves in nasty Big Foot behavior. We give Sasquatch Sunset 3 grunts.
Bleecker Street. 1 hour 29 minutes. R
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