Eduardo Sanchez has been slowly making his comeback to found footage terror. One half of the crew behind The Blair Witch Project, he’s dallied with claustrophobic horror in Lovely Molly and Altered. He’s reestablished himself with his segment in V/H/S 2. He’s even taken to the small screen with his most recent work on BBC America’s chilling supernatural series, Intruders. With all that under his belt, it’s about time he went back to the woods. Or is it? You decide after watching the first clip from Exists.
The found footage genre… well, let’s not get into that right now. It’s a divisive topic, but most fans and critics would agree that when it’s done “right” it’s a damned scary experience. Sanchez was one of the first in the most recent wave of directors clambering to make something truly shocking when he crafted the 1999 witch flick with his film school buddy, Dan Myrick. Now out to tackle another legend – Bigfoot – it looks like there’s gonna be either sleepless nights on the agenda for many (me) and a decrease in camping expeditions. Well, what can you expect with a synopsis like this:
“Five friends on a camping weekend in the remote woods of East Texas struggle to survive against a legendary predator that is stronger, smarter, and more terrifying than anything they would have ever believed exists.”
The first clip, of the sasquatch chasing a guy on his bike, is utterly brilliant. I say brilliant, because it gave me chills the first time the young lad spots the furry beast standing on the path. It’s only a glimpse, which then cuts to a high speed pursuit.
What’s interesting to note is that Exists will be the second high-profile found footage flick about Bigfoot released this year. Last October, Bobcat Goldthwaite dropped Willow Creek, a similar project involving young people going on the hunt for a legend and then being eaten by said legend. Either way, if there’s going to be another film about Bigfoot, then I’m happy as a hairy-backed-mary it’s by Sanchez.
Exists will be released on VOD and in select cinemas on October 24th.
