Found footage horror will never die, at least not in the near future. Even though it has lost the realistic impression that The Blair Witch Project or Cannibal Holocaust managed to build, this horror sub-genre is still able to present a pleasant horror. While the Paranormal Activity franchise is losing its appeal through boring ghosts, there are various other mockumentaries that carry a much more unique concept, for example from Norway there is Trollhunter. With the success of the movie, it’s not surprising that another mockumentary with mythological monsters as its focus would emerge afterwards. This time it is the turn of director Bobcat Goldthwait, who has been known for his black comedy films (God Bless America, World’s Greatest Dad) to do just that by making a movie about Bigfoot hunting. Willow Creek was inspired by the famous footage made by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin in 1967 which shows the figure of Bigfoot walking in the middle of the forest. Until now, the footage is still debated, is it real or just a hoax?
A couple named Jim (Bryce Johnson) and Kelly (Alexie Gilmore) travel to a forest in California known as the place where Patterson and Gimlin recorded the Bigfoot figure. The trip was made as Kelly’s birthday present for Jim, who is passionate about Bigfoot theories. The two also traveled with a camera, hoping to find evidence of Bigfoot’s existence. They also began taking pictures while occasionally conducting interviews with local residents who knew or were suspected of having seen the monster directly. Although there were two men who in an unpleasant manner tried to stop Jim and Kelly’s journey, they both finally continued their journey. Finally, they enter a forest that is still very wild without knowing the terror that awaits them in the deepest part of the forest. With a synopsis as short as this and a duration of only 79 minutes, you can already feel what Willow Creek will be like. Of course there will be no complex story and like other horror mockumentaries, in the first half we are still treated to non-horror moments before finally running fast towards the end.
The basic concept is very interesting, and of course the aspect I’m most looking forward to is how the Bigfoot figures will be portrayed and how they will terrorize the couple. Of course, I already knew that I had to be patient before getting all of that. Apart from the Bigfoot concept, this movie still offers the old formula, with the first half running slowly, trying little by little to build a mystery about Bigfoot mythology with the aim of building audience anticipation. But unfortunately, the attempt to build attraction was less successful. I felt that the moment was less successful in making the audience imagine the creepy figure of Bigfoot. Some interviews and leading moments that are present only feel casual, without any meaningful impression. It’s not as bad as the opening in the Paranormal Activity films, but it still lacks bite. If only the Patterson-Gimlin footage had been shown, maybe the tension would have increased even more. I’m sure almost all viewers have seen it before, but showing the footage again will allow viewers to relive the creepy feeling when they first saw it. Fortunately, my curiosity about the Bigfoot figure in the climax kept me enthusiastic.
The existence of Jim and Kelly is also quite successful in reviving the first half of this film. Both characters are interesting, the dialog exchanges don’t feel empty, plus Kelly’s figure is not difficult to sympathize with. Jim does sometimes feel annoying with his ego and childish attitude, but fortunately near the end these two characters are reversed, making me feel less annoyed at Jim. But let’s face it, no matter how good or bad the early moments in a mockumentary are, it’s the climax and the end that will determine whether the movie is good or not. Willow Creek begins its terror in a nighttime scene when Jim and Kelly are in a tent. The scene is a long shot that runs for more than 20 minutes, and only shows Jim and Kelly in the tent. The terror that is present is just sound after sound plus some surprising movements from outside the tent. Simple, but successful in building tension. The audience is made to be in the same condition as the couple, feeling confused and afraid of hearing strange sounds without the slightest idea of who and what is happening outside the tent. I always love it when horror movies build horror through atmosphere, and Willow Creek succeeds in doing just that.
Unfortunately, I was let down by the climax and ending. After a long wait and a 20-minute suspenseful scene, this movie only presents a brief climax in the middle of the darkness that doesn’t even show the figure of Bigfoot at all. Of course it would be ridiculous if the monster design on a low budget tried to be shown clearly, but at least give a little appearance supported by a shaky cam to disguise the ugliness of the monster’s design, in order to increase the level of horror and provide satisfaction for the audience waiting for the monster’s appearance. In the end, as I mentioned above, it would be useless if a mockumentary like Willow Creek presents a good enough tension building but fails to pay off all the waits. It’s far from bad, but it’s definitely unsatisfying when the entertainment aspect of the climactic madness isn’t maximized.
