Review of Willow Creek (2013) by Tim M — 04 Jan 2015

Summary: Willow Creek is a little, underrated gem that is directed with precision and realism. 84/100 [B+].

Jim and his girlfriend Kelly are visiting the infamous Willow Creek, the alleged home of the original Bigfoot legend - the tale of huge ape like creatures that roam the forests of North America. It was there that in 1967, the legendary beast was captured on film and has terrified and mystified generations since. Keen to explore more than 50 years of truth, folklore, misidentifications and hoaxes, Kelly goes along for the ride to keep Jim happy, whilst he is determined to prove the story is real by capturing the beast on camera. Deep in the dark and silent woods, isolated and hours from human contact, neither Kelly or Jim are prepared for what is hidden between the trees.

I saw Willow Creek alone, in my room with the lights turned off and it was quite an experience. I didn't know anything about this director until this movie. I read his biography and I noticed that he's an acclaimed director, a very famous one. So I had high expectations for this film and it was awesome, it is the perfect found-footage film, it has lots of atmosphere and creativity. This little flick is the most impressive found-footage film in years. It is dreadful and well acted. The two main leads are pretty likable and you care about them because they look cute together and they have chemistry between each other. Also, the scares in the film came at the right time, they were so precise and atmospheric.

The director Bobcat Goldthwait clearly knows how to make a found-footage film. At times it is very similar to The Blair Witch Project, but that's not a bad thing, Willow Creek has enough originality to stand by its own. The first act is entertaining, we start to feel interested in the characters, their worries and their goals. The movie introduces us to some interesting places based on Bigfoot (such as restaurants, statues and more stuff like that) I found these scenes very refreshing to the found-footage genre. Again, the young couple in the film is so damn likable and charismatic, they kept me entertained all time and I have no problems with the acting at all. The performances were great.

The second act has some weird but quite enjoyable interviews and the found-footage element adds veracity. What I like about this second act is its warm up. It is a slow movie, but it is never dull. Also, the whole scene in the tent is an instant classic! The last 15 minutes are so devastating and dreadful, you feel like everything is wrong and something bad will happen to this couple. The ending is similar to The Last Exorcism's ending, it's confusing but it gives you enough information to elaborate your own conclusions. It's found-footage well done, it looks like a real footage and that's terrifying. Willow Creek is entertaining and short, a scary found-footage flick that looks extremely real. [B+].