Bigfoot Woods movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Bigfoot Woods

RATING: Unrated / PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 20 minutes (80 minutes)

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

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Bigfoot Woods

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed by Elizabeth Chatelain, Bigfoot Woods is an indie coming-of-age story that combines small-town folklore with personal gender identity. Set in northern Minnesota, the film follows teenager Bridget Benally and his father, who accidentally capture camera footage of what appears to be Sasquatch (Bigfoot.)  As viral excitement spreads, the local community eagerly embraces the mythical monster while struggling to support a teenager navigating her/his gender transition.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• Mild thematic elements surrounding small-town social friction, religious dynamics, and gender transition.

• Profanity, including some F-bombs

• We see a teenager flip the bird at someone

• No graphic violence, making it generally accessible for teens and adults

• The main girl cuts herself multiple times and jokes about suicide.
• A teenage girl asks if she can wear a binder so she looks more like a guy.

THEMES:

• Community obsession with urban legends vs. acceptance of real human identity

• Parent-child bonds and family support through major life transitions

• Personal truth vs. absolute truth

• Faith
• Gender identity
• Parenting
• Self-acceptance
• Talk of gender dysphoria as a mental disorder

THINGS I LIKED:

• Rich Sommer turns in a warm, grounded performance as a supportive father navigating family dynamics and the LGBTQ community. You’ll most likely recognize him from the popular, 16-time Emmy-winning Mad Men TV series. It was nominated 116 times! It won Outstanding Drama Series four consecutive years from 2008 to 2011.

• Ambrose Velasco Jenkins delivers an authentic and personal lead performance. She/he is gay in real life.

• We get to see beautiful cinematography capturing the atmospheric forests of Minnesota. We also get to see some beautiful Aurora Borealis.

• I love that the father and daughter have a fun hobby together by filming videos for their “In the Woods” YouTube channel.
• We see a young teenager and her/his parents struggle with gender identity questions.
• So, what do YOU think of Bigfoot? Real? Not real? One of my sons lives in Seattle, where there is a huge Bigfoot community. They take great pride in claiming that Bigfoot lives in Washington!
• Bridget is the teenager who decides she is a boy. I wanted to see this film because I have a niece named Bridgette who has also adopted a gay lifestyle. The character, Bridget, creates what she/he calls “Bigfoot Rules.” In a subtle way, they apply to her views on her new identity choice. The five rules are:
  1. Only let them see you when you want to be seen. Bigfoots control their own lives.
  2. Don’t be a victim.
  3. Only leave tracks intentionally.
  4. Express things with style.
  5. Destruction is the father of creation.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• The pacing stumbles slightly in the middle act as town side plots unfold.

• Viewers expecting a creature-feature horror film will be surprised by its focus on gender identity, rather than on Bigfoot.

• I hate it when movies show Christians as prejudiced bigots. The reality is that a true Christian would show love and kindness to everyone, despite their personal religious beliefs. Religion should make us more kind and patient with others, right?
• The main character is completely focused on herself and shows no empathy for her parents or others who struggle with her decision to be a guy. She’s underage and yet she wants to call of the shots. She demands respect from others but doesn’t give it to anyone in return. She doesn’t seem to care about the pain she causes others or the difficult situation she puts her parents in. It was hard for me to really like such a self-centered character like that.

FUNNY LINES:

• “She’s a ‘they/them’.”  -mom   “You mean ‘They is a they/them. I think that’s how it works.” – dad

INTERESTING LINES:

• “I’d rather be a frog than a girl.”  – Bridget  (Ambrose Velasco Jenkins)
• “Do you take me seriously as a non-binary?” –  Bridget  (Ambrose Velasco Jenkins)
• “This town has lost its mind. Fantasy and reality have become one and the same.” –  Bridget  (Ambrose Velasco Jenkins)
  “I love you regardless of gender.” –  Kira (Julia Zook)
• “I am so sorry I didn’t know how much pain you were in.” – Taylor Benally  (Tristen MacDonald)
• “What if I am a head case and not trans? What if transgender IS a mental illness?” –  Bridget  (Ambrose Velasco Jenkins)

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

• American Sasquatch: Man. Myth or Monster 

• Bigfoot: A Beginners Guide

• Sasquatch Sunset

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Dr. Trina Boice is a university professor, author of 36 books, professional author coach, YouTuber, podcaster, film critic, and mom of 4 awesome sons.