The Big Picture

• The cast, including Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, fully commit to their unrecognizable roles in Sasquatch Sunset.
• The Zellner brothers' direction is dedicated and never winks at the audience, resulting in a visually stunning film.
• The film's wild concept doesn't always work; it could have made an effective short rather than a feature.

This review was originally part of our coverage for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

For the first few minutes of Sasquatch Sunset, from directors Nathan and David Zellner, it’s hard to believe this movie exists. Four sasquatches maneuver through the mountains, eating the plants they find, getting aroused, playing with animals, and basically just doing sasquatch things. Sasquatch Sunset almost plays like a test for the audience—do you dare stick around to see if there’s more to this than this quartet of hairy monsters just eating, shitting, and fighting in the woods? Is this just one joke repeated for 90 minutes or is there substance deeper within? By the end of Sasquatch Sunset, many of these questions will surely remain, yet the primary one will be, “What the hell did I just watch?”

What Is 'Sasquatch Sunset' About? (Sasquatches, Obviously)

Sasquatch Sunset follows the aforementioned sasquatch group over the course of a year, as they meander and survive throughout mountains and woods, eating, pooping, and making poor decisions along the way. This experiment/film is entirely dialogue-free, and fairly repetitive, with the exception of the occasional mistake along the way. Someone might eat the wrong type of berry or explore something that might mean danger for the group, but Sasquatch Sunset is largely about spending time with the day-to-day of these four sasquatches.

Considering the actors playing these sasquatches are in costumes and under significant makeup, it’s sort of remarkable the cast they had for this bonkers concept. In fact, it might take a majority of the film to figure out who is playing who, as Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough play two of the sasquatches, alongside Nathan Zeller and Christophe Zajac-Denek. Each character even has their own distinct personality. Eisenberg’s sasquatch struggles to count (or his version of counting), Zajac-Denek’s pretends he’s talking to his hand, Zellner’s is more willing to embrace his base urges and try new things, while Keough’s character…loves to scratch her crotch and smell it.

It’s fascinating just how much these actors commit to the role, as they truly get lost within these characters. Even based on the grunts and various noises they make, it’s hard to discern which one of these sasquatches was in The Social Network. It’s an impressive undertaking that is taken relatively seriously (even with all the peeing, poop-throwing, and vomit-covered berry experimentation), and while this could’ve been played with a wink to the audience, it’s even more remarkable how straightforward this concept is.

The Zeller Brothers Are No Strangers to Wild Ideas

Sasquatch Sunset is the latest intriguing concept from the Zellner brothers, who deconstructed classic Western tropes with 2018’s underrated Damsel and directed several episodes of The Curse, which goes in equally unexpected and wild directions. Even David Zellner’s Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, which helped put the director on the map, was a take on the Coen brothers’ Fargo. Simply put, the Zellner brothers don’t rest on their laurels when it comes to high-concepts, and that’s certainly true for Sasquatch Sunset as well.

Technically, Sasquatch Sunset is gorgeous to behold, almost like a nature documentary that has managed to capture four sasquatches together. With cinematography by Mike Gioulakis (Us, It Follows, The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Sasquatch Sunset makes every shot stunning, even when the film goes to more absurd lengths. Again, it’s the dedication to the bit that makes Sasquatch Sunset work as well as it does, and the Zellner’s careful handling of how to present this idea, alongside Gioulakis’ stunning visuals, brings a sense of legitimacy to a concept that could easily be laughed off.

'Sasquatch Sunset's Ideas Don't Always Work

But is there enough substance to Sasquatch Sunset to warrant making a feature-length film out of what largely feels like one joke? Yes and no, and that probably depends on the viewer. For example, at the Sundance screening I saw Sasquatch Sunset at, there was a steady stream of people leaving throughout the showing. Some left 15 minutes in, whereas others left with five minutes to go, but there was almost always someone on the way out. Which, to be fair, this is a film that defines the term “your mileage may vary,” and doesn’t care if you get on its wavelength at all. This is the Zellner’s singular vision, and if you don’t like the ride, you can get off whenever you want.

Yet despite the film’s jokes mostly focusing on bodily functions (expect to see more sasquatch penis than you’ll likely want), and plenty of vomit, pee, and poop, there’s an earnestness to Sasquatch Sunset that’s hard not to get wrapped up in. What starts as a silly concept quickly becomes sympathetic toward this group’s plight, and as dangers come along the way, one can’t help but feel compassion for the troubles in their path. Again, this comes down to performances, and how much these four actors give in completely to the heart at the center of this story. Keough is especially great as the group’s sole female member, and as this group faces issues, she naturally starts to take control of the situation by assisting those close to her.

But as a feat of acting, Sasquatch Sunset is truly impressive. Beyond the indiscernible actors behind the matted hair, and the abundance of bodily fluids, it allows these performers to get down to the core of what makes a story like this work. They’re robbed of language and of much to do beyond indulging in their basest interests, yet for the actors, they have to keep this in mind while also trying to get us to care about their meandering journey. The script by the Zellner brothers puts these four on a path that makes them reckon with life, death, and the confusion of life in a way that makes this story relatable in some unexpected ways. Even though these sasquatches can only grunt, the Zellners and this cast finds a way to dive into the humanity underneath the piss and hair.

'Sasquatch Sunset' Sticks With You

Strangely, months after seeing Sasquatch Sunset, it’s not that poop and boner jokes that have stuck with me about the Zellner’s odd film (although, it’s certainly hard to forget), but it’s the way this film manages to still create compelling characters and a moving narrative even without the traditional storytelling tricks we’re used to. Sure, it’s a bit of a gimmick to put Eisenberg and Keough in these getups and have them pissing all over the place, but once the weirdness washes over you, the film dares you not to care about this quartet’s plight. Sasquatch Sunset still often feels like David and Nathan Zellner testing the waters as to what they can get away with, but it’s hard to not still get wrapped into the narrative that does rise out of the gross, matted hair and copious amounts of bodily fluids.

In a way, the Zellner brothers are boiling down a narrative to its barest form—almost like watching a silent comedy—and seeing if they can make something so wild into something that audiences will actually care about. Does the joke get a bit old at times, even at 90 minutes? Absolutely, and it’s easy to fall into wondering if there’s going to be more to the film or if this is all there is to it. Sasquatch Sunset could’ve easily been an experimental short and very well been more effective than it is in this form. But all credit to Nathan and David Zellner for committing to this concept and making a bold, idiosyncratic vision, damn what anyone else thinks. Sasquatch Sunset is by and large a wild idea that mostly works because of the dedication to taking this concept seriously. The film isn’t without its flaws and weird choices, but the fact that it works at all is a testament to the Zellner brothers and this incredible cast being willing to give their all for such a deranged idea.

Sasquatch Sunset is now available to stream on VOD in the U.S.

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