Sasquatch Sunset
Or How to Become Bigfoot
America’s obsession with cryptids gets an intoxicating makeover with Sasquatch Sunset, the latest film by David & Nathan Zellner. While it’s refreshingly intriguing and peculiar (it’s both disgusting and heartwarming), the movie unfolds like an observational nature documentary chronicling a year in the lives of these alleged creatures.
Set in the depths of the American wilderness, Sasquatch Sunset traces the journey of a Bigfoot family (Mom, Dad, and two children) as they navigate the mysteries lurking beyond the forest. Structured across seasons, the cryptids search for others of their kind. They have intriguing rituals and chants that echo through the mountains and trees, pleading for a response. Unlucky in this quest, the dangers of human activity begins to creep up their ecosystem. Thus, the Zellners argue for an environmentalist message, as we understand our presence is not welcome there.
While I recommend caution for more casual audiences approaching the film, as it may not suit everyone's tastes, its observational approach offers an unfiltered glimpse into the wild behaviors of this Bigfoot family. From mating rituals, including visible genitalia, to bodily functions like urination, defecation, vomiting, nothing is held back, truly portraying them in their wild state. One thing is for sure: you'll either burst into laughter or cringe at the gross-out gimmicks, depicted in a style similar to American Pie (Paul & Chris Weitz, 1999).
Even so, the distinctive charm of the film lies in its choice to cover the actors in Sasquatch gear from head to toe, a decision worth celebrating amidst the indie scene's creative approach in contrast to the larger industry. Opting for motion capture, for example, would diminish the handmade authenticity that perfectly complements the narrative. Nonetheless, one can recognize the actors’ eyes beneath the layers of make-up, so it’s not a game of who’s who.
Sasquatch Sunset has no conventional dialogue; instead, we're enveloped in the primal grunts and growls emanating from these creatures. Yet, we’re able to grasp their language and essence, revealing the film's most profoundly human quality.
Regarding the audience experience, it was quite enjoyable. I had a blast with the laughter and cringe-worthy moments. Something really cool was the provision of scratch-and-sniff cards, which play along the Sasquatches’ sense of smell. For instance, when they encountered "drunken berries," viewers could scratch the corresponding icon on the card and experience the aroma. Other scents included “redwood”, “magic mushrooms”, and “campsite candy”.
I watched the film at the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn, which was cool because there was a Q&A with Jesse Eisenberg. Among the many things he talked about was how they came up with the creatures’ language, the Sasquatch boot-camp experience, costumes, and how he was approached for the movie:
“We’re trying to figure out how to have a cohesive language amongst us. And so I called a friend of mine who was my mime teacher on a movie I played a mime. We needed a cohesive set of movements and vocabulary, so we created this Sasquatch boot camp where we came up with a vocabulary of sounds and languages and what it did for us was to open up to the variety of ways to express yourself. It’s not just grunts, it was nuanced, calling for another Sasquatch. [Makes clicking sound] This sweet call that makes it feel there’s a longing. Moans, confusion, a language that we can then improvise with”
“We’re in Eureka, a small town in Northern California. The most unbelievable place on Earth. I mean, these trees only exist in this area. We’re renting this little office and got our costumes to start practicing.”
“The communication between the Sasquatches was petrifying. If you think about it from an actors’ experience, it’s scary. [The scene of them shitting on the road] If you’ve never seen a road in your entire life, it’s the scariest thing. The fabric of dirt and deviations from the wilderness. It’s not threatening [the creatures] but it’s the enemy in some way. Just the weirdness of shooting a scene like that, the mechanics of it are so awkward. The pee thing is a tube running through my [character’s] penis and some yak hair was stuck on my tube, and a guy two feet to my left is pumping out the thing and because I’m angry and the hair is stuck, the pee comes out everywhere. A weird technical process that doesn’t work with green screen.”
“[Getting into costume] was the most awful physical experience unlike anything I ever experienced, and if you can tell from the way I speak and my physique, I spent months in lockers when I was younger. This was just the most claustrophobic experience in my life. The make-up is an art project and what they did was remarkable, there’s no CGI and it has a homemade quality. Rare today.”
“To achieve this brilliant effect, you wake up at 4 AM to get in the make up chair, and you get glue in every part of your face. Really claustrophobic prosthetics, and then yak hair, and then the feet. Hours and hours and you can’t eat anything while stuck in the chair. It’s nuts. The bodysuit is tighter than your body, and you’re drenched in sweat drinking lots of water, but it’s hard to pee. For the sweat, we would put baby powder on our chest and carry on. The saving grace was that whenever you looked in the mirror you’d look at this unbelievable art piece.”
“There was something great about this movie that it was so unusual but done with such earnestness, it comes at this crazy subject that could be a prank or a Halloween costume, but there’s also a core of emotional reality. You feel for these characters. It’s just so rare. Asking the actors for the most emotional acting they could do. I read the script and thought ‘If I get another one of these, I’d be so happy’”
I always enjoy attending these Q&As because you get the chance to see, and perhaps even meet, your favorite movie people. I had the pleasure of seeing Eisenberg previously at a screening of his directorial feature When You Finish Saving the World (2022) last year and he’s a quite a nice guy. Very different from the characters he portrays. But I didn’t say “hello” that time.
When I meet film people I’m not particularly into taking selfies/pictures, so I prefer getting autographs instead (if the opportunity arises, of course, I wouldn’t want to bother them). At the end, Eisenberg stayed a little bit more to chat and he did take pictures and signed memorabilia. So I was prepared and brought along my vinyl of The Social Network1 (David Fincher, 2010) and he kindly signed it for me. Told him it’s my favorite film of his and Fincher, and he thanked me. So down to Earth and willing to meet every fan.
Another reason to love NYC’s magic.
An effing banger of a score.