Bigfoot! Yeti! Sasquatch! No matter what name he goes by, the world is in love with the monstrous link in the evolutionary chain. Even though there are still numerous “reality shows” where Bigfoot is hunted by hillbillies, the subgenre of horror dedicated specifically to ape-man attacks has entered a state of hibernation… probably because of movies about hurricanes that throw living sharks… I was psyched to see Uncork’d Entertainment’s announcement that they were releasing Hunting Grounds to the masses. This means, in some way or another, the Yowie massacres will survive into 2017. But will it leap into the new year with ferocity or will it limp on injured legs? Read my review of Hunting Grounds to find out!
Hunting Grounds is the feature length directorial debut of John Portanova. Though this is his first big project in the commander’s chair, Portanova previously wrote and produced straight-to-DVD hit The Invoking. He was joined in this particular endeavor by cinematographer/producer Jeremy Berg, editor David Phillips and special effect supervisor Doug Hudson. Also written by Portanova, Hunting Grounds follows a father (Jason Vail) and son (Miles Peyrafitte) who lose their family home and are forced to move to a dilapidated cabin in the woods. Two of the father’s friends (David Saucedo & D’Angelo Midili) are invited on the journey to smooth the process, but the four men are about to face more adversity than a rent-a-truck. They’ve accidentally stumbled upon a tribe of Sasquatch and they are not happy to be interrupted. Bill Oberst Jr. also stars.
There’s such a big love for Bigfoot that with any movie like this – people are going to want to see the big hairy beast right way. Unfortunately for Hunting Grounds, Bigfoot doesn’t play a big part in the movie until a little more than halfway. The first half of the movie is spent introducing viewers to the four main characters and all of hatred they have for each other. Even worse, the son reminds me of Chris from “Fear the Walking Dead” so I hated him right off the bat. We get little glimpses and nudges that the beast is lurking nearby, and I thought he was going to nab a deer early on, but the action takes a long time to build up. This is going to be a point of concern for people who like a splatterfest that grabs you from the very start. Hunting Grounds is more of a mrama – man drama – that intersects with the horror genre right when the bonds need to be tested and all the themes are in place. Luckily, once the action starts, it’s pretty entertaining and the plot progresses in a wonderfully unexpected way. It just takes a while to get there. Be prepared to hit fast forward once or twice.
While I wasn’t a fan of the film’s pacing, I have to say I loved the Bigfoot costumes. They were a clever mix of old school effects and modern technologies, to the point where I thought some shots were CGI over man-in-costume. This is going to resonate with horror fans who are looking for a nostalgic creature feature that gives the audience an in depth look at its villain. The Bigfoot costume itself is so nostalgic, especially the face. I could go on and on about it, but yeah, I dug the appearance of this Sasquatch and his friends. The blood special effects and bone breaking injuries are excellent as well. I just wish there was more of it. I think that’s my biggest problem with Hunting Grounds – I wanted more. I wanted more anger, more danger, more suspense and more blood. I fear that it will end up as another movie that lures buyers in with awesome cover art and then lets them down. I’m happy that Hunting Grounds is a grass roots horror film, void of character cliches, nudity and jump scares, but I feel as if the lack of these elements needed to be made up for in other ways.
It leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s not bad. Hunting Grounds is hitting VOD on February 7th 2017 and this is a title you’ll want to check out if you’re a Bigfoot fan. Just be prepared for something other than in your face terror. Final Score: 5.5 out of 10.
