by Joseph Perry
Normally here at “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict”, both Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. However, here and there they will be taking the reins in a solo outing. For this installment, it’s Joseph with a solo review of the latest Small Town Monsters documentary from director Seth Breedlove, On the Trail of Bigfoot: Land of the Missing.
Synopsis
Centuries of reports of hair-covered creatures roaming Alaska have been uncovered. Yet beyond the mysterious apelike animals that haunt the forests of the 49th state, there exist numerous legends of horrific beings that blur the line between Bigfoot and something else. Something with a far darker agenda. Now, eyewitnesses and experts alike recount stories that will chill you to your bone. Stories that tie Bigfoot-like creatures to tales of mountain giants, and even missing persons.
The Good
I have been a big fan of the work that director Seth Breedlove and his Small Town Monsters crew members produce for several years, and have watched the quality of their documentaries grow and change over time. Always reliable, though with occasional missteps such as parts of The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the Lone Star State (2023), Small Town Monsters films do a fine job of documenting first-hand reports of high strangeness sightings — usually focusing on cryptids, with the occasional journey into UFOlogy or the supernatural — and providing excellent local color. On the Trail of Bigfoot: Land of the Missing is a fine example of what Breedlove and Small Town Monsters are best known for, which includes breathtaking locale cinematography, intriguing (if sometimes far-fetched) first-person accounts of sightings and encounters, balanced takes on their subjects, and deep dives into local folklore.
The Bad
I don’t have much to say here, as On the Trail of Bigfoot: Land of the Missing avoids being one-sided or melodramatic about its topic. The documentary doesn’t feature dramatic re-creations of its first-person accounts as some Small Town Monsters do — great-looking artwork is presented here instead — and some regular viewers of Breedlove and crew’s work may miss that.
On the Trail of Bigfoot: Land of the Missing avoids sensationalism as Breedlove takes realistic angles and approaches to the topic, such as balancing a story explaining a mysterious disappearance possibly caused by Bigfoot with a more likely explanation, and discussing the mathematical improbability of a large percentage of disappearances in Alaska being the work of these cryptids. This documentary is both a fine place to start with Small Town Monsters’ work for the uninitiated and one of the better recent efforts by the group for those familiar with its feature-length efforts.
On the Trail of Bigfoot: Land of the Missing, from 1091 Pictures, is available on VOD and Digital HD and also on Blu-ray exclusively from Small Town Monsters (https://www.smalltownmonsters.com) from August 22nd, 2023.
Directed By: Seth Breedlove
Run Time: 1h 17m
Rating: NR
Release Date: August 22, 2023