Bigfoot horror films are a subgenre that has consistently grown over the last several decades, including The Legend of Boggy Creek, Exists, Willow Creek, and last year's practical gore effects bonanza Primal Rage. Writer/Director Matt Allen's directorial feature debut Hoax, builds upon various predecessors to deliver a surprisingly tense low budget thriller. Featuring a cohesive ensemble performance, an unforgettable score, and a downright nasty finale, this is a future cult classic waiting to be discovered.
A group of teens is murdered in the Colorado wilderness,
believed to have been slaughtered by the legendary Sasquatch. An opportunistic
television producer assembles a crew to enter the forest and search for a
possible survivor, while also attempting to find irrefutable proof of the
creature's existence. Allen and Scott Park's script blends genre clichés
with unexpected character depth. While each of the primaries are
archetypes of their horror movie roles, they also have interesting flaws and motivations.
This is one of Hoax's strongest attributes: It knows exactly what kind
of picture it is and embraces its B movie roots, something which ultimately
gives it the freedom to stand ahead of its forgettable brethren. Particularly
during the third act, where the story takes an extreme turn, the viewer is
already connected to the characters, so a shocking, and sudden change of stakes
is not only welcomed, but stressful. While there are the usual suspects
in a film such as this, everything is forgivable due to the coalescence of so
many positive aspects.
The most important piece of the film is Alan Howarth's
Carpenter-esque score. One can't help but to think of The Thing,
something that clearly inspired much of this production. In virtually
every scene of terror or suspense, it is Howarth's ominous tones that dominate
the senses, allowing budgetary constraints to slide through the subconscious
without incident. This couples with William Munn’s gruesome makeup
effects to deliver the perfect Friday night horror experience, particularly in
the final act, whose homage to one of antediluvians of the genre is both
unsettling and memorable. Whether the creature is real is only a
third of the bloody enigma that Allen weaves into the optics, with cinematographer
Park's potent visuals blending found footage ambiance with slasher film chase
sequences.
Coming soon to digital on demand, Hoax is pure euphoria
for horror fans who enjoy gory kill sequences, above board throwaway
characters, and a genuine sense of disquiet that runs throughout. Some
hilarious and heartfelt performances (particularly by Brian Thompson from Kindred:
The Embraced) meld with an absolutely insane denouement to deliver a brutal
and merciless good time.
--Kyle
Jonathan