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Rev Horror

On the Trail of Bigfoot: Land of the Missing

Dir. Seth Breedlove (2023)

Small Town Monsters turns their attention to Alaska and its numerous tales of mysterious beings roaming the forests.


CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS


For those not acquainted with Small Town Monsters, the indie horror documentary company has become one of the most prolific cryptid documentarians in the world. The Horror Revolution has reviewed several of their documentaries in the past (American Werewolves, Bloodlines: The Jersey Devil Curse, and The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the Lone Star State), and without fail they are captivating and phenomenally well-done explorations of terrifying creatures filled with gorgeous scenery and fascinating interviews. This time, director Seth Breedlove and the STM crew take on the creatures that roam the Alaskan countryside, including the legendary Sasquatch.

Alaska is a beautiful state, with incredibly varied topography and weather patterns throughout the state. It's also enormous. Like, really fucking big. Like, so big that it's impossible to truly grasp how much land is actually there, especially considering its miniscule population in comparison to size. Alaska has a population density of 1.3 people per square mile. To put that in perspective, Wyoming has right at 6, and there's fucking nothing in Wyoming but cattle and the Kibble Dome. It's incredibly easy to imagine a bunch of Sasquatch roaming around such a desolate area, with miles and miles with no people at all to find them. There are only seven people living in the entire state of Alaska. Ok, there's probably more than that. But not by a lot!

One of the best things about the way that Small Town Monsters makes their films is that they interview people who are credible and have interesting stories. Documentaries often struggle to get either one, but the people who appear in these docs are almost universally both. They might not be telling the truth: hell, they might all be full of shit. But it's hard to believe that this many people are lying with similar stories all around the country. Knowing that there are creatures found all the time that have somehow avoided detection through all of human history, why would it not be possible that something larger could be easily hidden in a larger area?


Director Seth Breedlove tracks down folks all over the state, discussing local legends from centuries past all the way up to modern day. People have gone missing at an alarming rate in the Last Frontier, with the state even having its own version of the Bermuda Triangle. STM digs into these stories, as well as other experiences that came close to having the same outcomes. Some of them are unbelievable, with stories of death and destruction that feel at a scale higher than something that would have been ignored. Even those tales, however, have an air of truth about them, leaving open the possibility that there really is something out there.

Whether you're a believer or not, it's difficult to ignore the sheer volume of tales from the Klondike State about mysterious creatures, often resembling Bigfoot. The untouched wilderness allows for so much secrecy and intrigue, because it is simply impossible to look everywhere all at once. Small Town Monsters makes its case fairly convincingly, utilizing terrifying illustrations and plausible anecdotes to show the very real possibility that there is, indeed, something out there. I'm a firm believer in Bigfoot, as I've disclosed before, but the better questions is, why aren't you? Give On the Trail of Bigfoot: Land of the Missing a watch, and maybe you'll change your tune.


Who this movie is for: Cryptid documentary fans, Bigfoot believers, Big game hunters


Bottom line: Small Town Monsters is making some fantastic cryptid documentaries, filled with great illustrations and believable stories. If you're already into cryptids, these films are going to be right up your alley. If you're not, why the fuck not? Cryptids are awesome, and you might just surprise yourself by becoming a believer. Check this one out On Demand on August 22nd and grab the bluray exclusively from Small Town Monsters.


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