There’s a cottage business of Bigfoot movies simply ready for us on Tubi.
Low budgets. Furry, outsized creatures. Wacky titles (“Bigfoot or Bust” might take the cake). It’s pure style filmmaking, and no judgment right here. “The Sasqualogist” is radically totally different.
Author/director Joseph Granda’s smart and witty take a look at an obsessed “squatcher” might have an analogous funds, however its ambitions and artistry make all of the distinction.
Granda stars as a former professor who spends his days looking for proof of Bigfoot’s existence. The opening sequence suggests he’s achieved simply that, permitting Granda to ascertain his character’s quirks with sly effectivity.
“I don’t hate individuals. I simply really feel higher after they’re not round,” he explains.
He chased his girlfriend away and made associates with locals who share his ardour. He’s additionally gained the eye of a neighborhood teen (Brandon Swartz) who’s fixated on the sasqualogist’s quest.
The 2 find yourself looking for the massive, bushy beast, however what they discover alongside the way in which proves extra significant than any outsized footprint.
“The Sasqualogist” isn’t a standard comedy, however the screenplay brims with light humor together with outright guffaws. Granda’s cranky timing proves good, as does his alternative of comedian foils. Sure, you’ll be able to inform a Bigfoot story and embrace a ventriloquist’s dummy.
An prolonged sequence the place the Sasqualogist takes vacationers on a Bigfoot “expedition” is funnier than most mainstream comedies.
Our antihero is tough to heat as much as at first, however Granda imbues him with a disappointment that leavens his misanthropy. He’s happiest when he’s alone but hungry for human connection.
He will get the latter with Swartz’s character, a curious determine who looms massive over the movie.
Meet America’s high Bigfoot hunter – https://t.co/606fmdh0d9 #GoogleAlerts
— The Sasqualogist Film 2025 (@TheSasqualogist) June 9, 2025
It’s greatest to not share an excessive amount of about our antihero’s journey. Pleasures abound within the loping story twists, a few of which dip into the supernatural.
Or do they?
Simply know the screenplay teems with Bigfoot lore, sprinkled throughout the woods like a lot bear scat. True? False? A smattering of every or simply plain unknowable? Regardless of, because the particulars lend the movie a richness that grounds the story.
Manufacturing values are remarkably robust regardless of the microbudget, from successful cinematography to strong supporting turns after they matter most. Even the unique songs outkick the funds’s protection.
Granda is in each scene, driving the story till its satisfying coda. It’s the form of efficiency that shoves vainness to the aspect, revealing an unique soul value our consideration.
The third act takes some inventive dangers, a few of which fail to stay as much as the remainder of the story. It’s nonetheless a brisk, unique spin on Bigfoot lore that takes the topic critically. It additionally affords an empathetic take a look at what makes this neighborhood tick.
Right here’s betting that will get left off-screen in “Bigfoot or Bust.”
NOTES: “The Sasqualogist” is ready for a Fall 2025 launch. For transparency’s sake, the filmmaker is a good friend of this critic.
HiT or Miss: “The Sasqualogist” proves even a genre-friendly topic like Bigfoot can spawn one thing significant with out insulting the Bigfoot neighborhood or audiences.