Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait.
Written by: Bobcat Goldthwait.
Starring: Alexie Gilmore (Kelly), Bryce Johnson (Jim).
The
last two films Bobcat Goldtwait directed, World’s Greatest Dad (2009) and God
Bless America (2011) were daring, incendiary films that looked at the cult of
death, and the state of American culture respectively. The films easily
offended some, and had many ideas that even fans of the film (like myself) do
not necessarily agree with – but that only made the films more memorable. So
it’s a little odd to see Willow Creek, which looks like just another Blair
Witch Project knock-off. And, truth be told, when the film ends that is
precisely what the film has been – another found footage horror film. Having
said that, it is an expertly crafted found footage horror film – one that is
smarter, funnier and scarier than the rest of the found footage horror films I
have seen in the last year or so.
The
film stars Alexie Gilmore and Bryce Johnson as Kelly and Jim – a couple who has
been dating for a while, who travel to the Pacific Northwest in search of
bigfoot. Jim is a believer – he knows all the stories and legends – who “saw”
Bigfoot where and when. Kelly is basically just along for the ride – she wants
to make Jim happy, so she’ll tag along with him on his trip. They get to the
small town, who has made Bigfoot into a way of drawing tourists to the area to
buy cheap souvenirs, eat “Bigfoot” Burgers and stay at the Bigfoot Motel. They
have giant Bigfoot statues everywhere – and the locals are more than willing to
sit down and talk to Jim about the legends. Gradually however, so gradually in
fact many in the audience may not notice, the stories start to get a little
darker, more violent, the people seem to be less friendly and jovial, and more
haunted or sinister. Their last stop before heading out into the woods is
another one of those Bigfoot statues where Jim jokingly gets an interview with
Bigfoot himself – something that angers a local who tells him not to do that.
This isn’t some sort of joke. When they get to the woods, they meet an even
angrier man – who tells them to turn around and leave the woods right now – and
isn’t nice about it either. But none of this will dissuade Jim – he knows a
back way into the woods where he wants to go, and soon he and Kelly are deep in
the woods. And strange things start to happen.
The
first half of Willow Creek pretty much stays in town with Kelly and Jim, and
slowly (perhaps too slowly) starts to build the menace in the town and the
people, and gradually the unease builds. The second half takes
them to the woods, and continues to build the suspense and unease. And then
there is a brilliant, nearly 20 minute single shot scene of the pair holed up
inside their tent at night, as they hear strange noises outside the tent – and
then more than just noises. It is a brilliant sequence, and proves that the
scariest thing in a movie can be nothing more than an unknown noise in the
dark. The sequence is scarier than anything else I have seen this year – and
anything in any movie since last year’s The Conjuring.
After that sequence, the movie proceeds to its
inevitable conclusion in a more straightforward fashion. We know it’s not going
to end well – these movies never end well – yet like the rest of the movie, it
is effectively handled by Goldthwaite. Willow Creek is not as daring as the
last few films by Goldthwaite, although it may be a less “flawed” film. It is
essentially what it looks like – yet another Blair Witch inspired horror movie.
But in the years since Blair Witch broke out Willow Creek is probably the best of
all its imitators – and more proof that Goldthwaite is a real filmmaker.
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