Note: This is a spoiler-free The Vice Guide To Bigfoot movie review
Bigfoot has always been a mystery to society. Is it real or just a myth? Have people actually seen Bigfoot, or do those people just not know what a bear looks like? What does a true Bigfoot even sound like?
Finally, we have some answers.
The Vice Guide To Bigfoot is a smart, unique look at the cultural phenomenon with a facade of seriousness while also not taking itself at all seriously.
A Unique Take That Fits The Subject
Brian Emond is a Viceland Correspondent struggling to find his big break while discovering the craft beer scene in Crimea. He’s at his wit’s end when he’s sent to a Bigfoot festival in Georgia. What Brian isn’t told (or doesn’t realize because he hates his job) is he’s spending his weekend with Bigfoot hunting YouTube star Jeff Stephenson out in the backwoods.
At the very moment Brian has lost all hope, a discovery is made and he is thrown into the story of his lifetime. The result is The Vice Guide To Bigfoot.
The movie, directed by Zach Lamplugh, is a fun way to look at the Bigfoot phenomenon. People who think they’ve seen Bigfoot really think they’ve seen Bigfoot. There’s no doubt about that. People who haven’t think those people are lunatics. There’s no doubt about that. Vice Guide To Bigfoot takes the serious, melds it with the lunacy, and portrays it within one camping trip over 80 minutes.
The tone of the film is dry as can be and nothing but sarcastically funny throughout.
Simply put if you’re a fan of other Vice properties you’ll enjoy Vice Guide To Bigfoot.
Dueling Bigfeet?
There are also multiple interpretations of what “finding Bigfoot” can mean in Vice Guide To Bigfoot. The theme is heavy-handed, intentionally, but absolutely present. Jeff is literally looking for Bigfoot and appears to lack the mental capacity to do anything else. Bigfoot for Brian, on the other hand, is the life-changing story more than a mythical creature lurking in the woods. The two characters are in the same frame and covering the same ground, but there are two distinctly separate stories going on that tie together well by the end of the movie.
Combine those storylines with some plot twists and turns along the way and this Vice Guide has a nice mix to keep you entertained the majority of the time.
That said, there are scenes in Vice Guide To Bigfoot that feel clunky. The dialogue is forced and the timing is a bit off. It feels like the on-screen chemistry isn’t always there between Brian and Jeff. Those scenes are on the shorter side, though, and it’s not enough to take away from the movie as a whole.
Should I See The Vice Guide To Bigfoot?
I had the opportunity to see this film as part of Pure Fandom’s coverage during the Austin Film Festival (shoutout to them for the access). For that reason, I don’t know if this will be easier or more difficult to find than Bigfoot itself.
If you do get a chance to see Vice Guide To Bigfoot, it’s worth the watch. It’s relatively short, fun, smart, and easy to watch. Feel free to check it out and support the small film industry.
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(Featured Image courtesy of Austin Film Festival)
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