These are some of the only bigfoot movies worth watching.
Everyone loves a good bigfoot story. Ever since some of the first bigfoot sightings wormed their way into popular culture, the legend of the big, hairy, missing link has captivated the imaginations of the public and filmmakers for decades now. As a fan of both the legend and horror movies, I have been looking for quality movies about the mysterious cryptid for years now.
Unfortunately, Hollywood and filmmaking decision makers seem to always equate old big and hairy to their most low-budget and worst-acted TV show and film projects. Complete with special effects that will make you cringe. There has been a bevy of them from features like The Lost Coast Tapes, to Willow Creek, Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot, The Son of Bigfoot, and more. These "films" do not exactly have Oscar-worthy performances with characters and acting so awful, they make the "Finding Bigfoot" crew look normal by comparison. I groan every time I read a synopsis about college students going camping and getting offed one by one by the beast like a Friday the 13th sequel.
Fortunately for you, I have suffered through so many bad films and you will not have to do the same. Although I did include a few titles that are "campy fun" in nature. Most of these bigfoot films can be found easily on Netflix or Prime Video and are the perfect watch before that summer camping trip into bigfoot country or as a fun diversion the night before deer season with your hunting buddies.
The Legend of Boggy Creek
I am going to go out on a limb and call Charles Pierce's 1972 feature on the Fouke Monster the best bigfoot movie ever made. Part horror film and part documentary, this film scared me to death as a kid and is a great intro movie to the horror genre for younger viewers. Pierce re-enacts encounters with the beast, sometimes using real eyewitnesses to the creature that allegedly terrorized Fouke, Arkansas for decades. You do not ever get a good close-up of the monster and the haunting scream at the beginning is enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. The film is very dated, and it does have some incredibly campy elements. The Travis Crabtree song will be an earworm for days after each viewing. At the same time, it is a charming type of camp. Many films have tried and failed to be Boggy Creek over the years, and it is a must-watch for anyone interested in the legends.
The Creature from Black Lake
This one is a total rip-off of Boggy Creek, coming out in 1976. Honestly, like many bigfoot movies, it is a bad one. However, this one is in the "so-bad-it's good" category. Jack Elam, famous for roles in films like Once Upon a Time in the West, Cannonball Run, and Support Your Local Sheriff, plays a drunken backwoods yokel trapper whose friend is killed by a bigfoot in the Louisiana swamps. He spends most of the movie trying to convince anyone who will listen of the creature's existence and the only ones who will listen are two college students in who come down to the area to investigate. This movie is just hilariously corny. If you are looking for a good drinking game for deer camp, take a shot every time one of the students mentions hamburgers. Also, this one keeps the creature mysterious by never giving a real good look at it. Like Boggy Creek, this one scared me quite a bit as a kid.
Harry and the Hendersons
If you are looking for something a bit more family-friendly, this one is a solid choice. John Lithgow plays George Henderson, who is bringing his family home from a camping trip in the Pacific Northwest when they hit bigfoot with their car. Thinking the beast is dead, they bring it home in hopes of getting rich. Except "Harry" wakes up in their garage, trashes their home and eventually befriends the family. While we are not exactly fans of George, a hunter, hanging up his guns at the end of the film, there is no denying this film's creature. Designed by special effects legend Rick Baker of "The Howling," and "An American Werewolf in London" fame, this is the best version of sasquatch ever put up on the big screen. Harry really does look like a living, breathing animal. Legendary creature actor Kevin Peter Hall, who also played the Predator, did an outstanding job bringing the legend to life. We also really enjoyed David Suchet's performance as the obsessed bigfoot hunter Jaques Lafleur as the film's villain.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and then the Bigfoot
This film is a real contender for the silliest film title of all time. However, do not let the Sci-Fi Channel original vibe of the name throw you off. This film is not what you think it is. The story is about War II veteran Calvin Barr, played by Sam Elliott. Through a series of flashbacks, a fascinating and entertaining alternative history of the end of World War II is played out as Barr undertakes a top secret mission to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Years later, the government enlists his help again to kill bigfoot because the beast is spreading a mysterious virus that threatens to wipe out mankind. Yes, really. We know this plot sounds incredibly cheesy, but Elliott manages to make this totally wacky premise believable. The film has a lot of unexpected heart you will not see coming. Our only gripe is that the design of bigfoot is terrible, but this film is worth a watch to all fans of the creature and Sam Elliott.
Abominable
Imagine Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but instead of Jimmy Stewart witnessing a murder, he watches the partying college students next door get devoured by sasquatch. That is the basic plot of Abominable. We are not sure why they chose that title because it takes place in the states and not the Himalayas where the Yeti, also known as the abominable snowman lives, but whatever. This is NOT a family film. It is more for the gorehounds as the monster kills teenagers faster than Jason Vorhees. Meanwhile, Matt McCoy's wheelchair-bound character Preston Rogers tries desperately to get help and fails repeatedly at every turn. There is nothing new here as far as slasher flicks or bigfoot movies go, but the creature is ridiculously immune to weapons and that is enough to keep you entertained until the very end.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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