Willow Creek Review

We saw Willow Creek on Vudu and it was everything that I remember about talking to Bigfoot believers.

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Synopsis

Willow Creek is a found footage film focused on bigfoot enthusiast and documentarian Jim (Bryce Johnson) and his girlfriend Kelly (Alexie Gilmore). 

Jim and Kelly are visiting Willow Creek, and the site of the original bigfoot footage shoot, the Patterson-Gimlin film shoot. 

Jim has been a passionate Bigfoot believer his whole life and is super-excited to make this documentary that allows him to pay homage to the epicenter of his obsession.

Kelly is not as crazy about the idea, but she is very supportive of his effort and holds the camera a lot of the time.

While Jim interviews locals about the legend, we learn a few things about the mystery of bigfoot before the couple take the plunge into the forest primeval and get more bigfeet than they bargained for.

Review

Willow Creek is a remarkably simple film that capitalizes on everyone’s fear of the woods at night.

It’s not the best found footage camping film (Blair Witch), but it’s so sparse and short that I really can’t hate it.

The direction by Bobcat Goldthwait is simple and unobtrusive, but it makes sure to pay homage to all the tropes that you might expect it to. 

Willow Creek knows it’s lane, which is cheap, barebones, short, and mostly improvised. As long as you go into it with that in mind, it probably won’t offend your sensibilities.

If you are a person who is terrified of the woods at night, this is a fabulous way to scare yourself silly, or you could also try the slightly better version of this, Backcountry. 

One of the most questionable choices in Willow Creek is the decision to make the whole movie rest on a 25 minute long single shot toward the end of the movie. Your enjoyment of the entire movie will hinge on how this shot strikes you, and strangely it worked better on me on my second viewing. 

Overall Willow Creek is a fun found footage movie with a nice mix of subtle comedy and spooky moments.

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Score

6/10

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