Appearances can be deceiving. It’s funny how when a film begins, you’re convinced you know exactly where it’s going, then BAM! You’re taken to some other place. Jesse Edwards’ The Wildman of Shaggy Creek is a surprisingly moving, coming-of-age Bigfoot movie which ends up being more about the people in the story instead of the monster.
As the picture opens, we are introduced to Scott (Hudson Hensley) and his folks, Charlotte (Allee Sutton Hethcoat) and Charlie (Josh Futcher), having made the move from LA to a palatial home in a rural setting. Scott, like most children uprooted from friends and familiarity when their parents move, is quiet and reflective. The new house is situated before a dense forest into which Scott peers with anticipation and fear. But there’s little time to ponder it as Scott’s mum is on the eve of commencing her new job, whilst trying desperately to locate all the family’s belongings that are housed in a moving van that has failed to materialize.
“Scott makes the bold declaration that he intends to spend a night in the Shaggy Creek woods.”
Soon, Scott meets the other children of the neighborhood, but his focus is on the kindness and warmth of Hailey (Ayla Bullington), who’s the daughter of a psychiatrist and a lawyer and the sister of an insecure bully who belittles Scott at every turn. They all warn him not to enter the woods, as the son of the former occupants of the house was found mutilated. A victim of the Wildman. Scott tells the story to his parents, who are already informed. They assure him it is merely an urban myth, possibly used by parents to prevent their kids from recklessly entering the woods unattended. Still, Scott is convinced there is something out there.
As time goes by, he continues to hear noises, detect a horrid odor, and on one occasion is convinced he sees the elusive Wildman. His parents and friends continue to push their take of the whole scenario. Meanwhile, Scott’s mother knows her son is desperately unhappy and is struggling to rebuild their relationship. Continually receiving messages from a friend from his former life, Scott ignores the texts as he struggles to adjust, make friends, meet expectations, battle bullies, and possibly track down Bigfoot. Even after passing through the forest multiple times, finding unexplainable traces, no one will listen to his cries of anguish or otherwise. Hassled by his peers and dismissed by his parents, Scott makes the bold declaration that he intends to spend a night in the Shaggy Creek woods, to find out, beyond the shadow of any doubt, whether there’s a Wildman out there.
The Wildman of Shaggy Creek was a joy to sit through. There’s something about it that felt like a ’90s movie, of course, minus the phones. But that sense of adventure, wonder, mystery, and real-life family struggles render some sections almost Spielbergian. Yes, people, if you go out in these woods today, you’re in for a big surprise. Edwards has crafted a solid family film here that doesn’t ditch genuinely terrifying moments while combining them with some real, solid drama. Both score and cinematography complement a well-paced plot, and the young cast commands the screen.
"…surprisingly moving..."
