A small rural town in Maine is shocked as a mysterious animal leaves a local resident brutally ripped apart. Deemed to be a random bear attack by town officials, freelance journalist Max Frome suspects it might be something more.
As an independent filmmaker for almost 40 years, I know the hardships of making a movie only too well. That’s why it pains me to give Brad Rego’s “Cryptid” only two and a half stars out of five. The film starts exceptionally well, keeping the momentum going through over half of the almost two-hour runtime, only for the final act to go down like a lead balloon. It always saddens me when I have to critique a fellow filmmaker’s work, and the review is less-than-stellar because I know how much time and effort goes into making it, but I have also had my own films assessed and criticized over the years and know that it is part of the job so, unfortunately, negative reviews are a part of the job.
According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “Cryptid” is explained as “an animal (such as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist.” That is what encompasses the story of “Cryptid.” The movie takes place in a small rural town in Maine, where two local journalists, Max (Nicholas Baroudi) and Harriet (Ellen Adair), learn of strange murders around town. Initially, the local police are convinced it is the work of a bear, but as more bodies turn up, that theory appears less likely. When Sheriff Charlie Murdoch (Chopper Bernet) tells Max that some sort of creature is responsible for the deaths, Max and Harriet look into the town’s past and are horrified to learn that these bizarre deaths go back years. Upon further inspection, it appears the same creature, a sort of reptilian humanoid that could go back as far as the Mesozoic era, has been quietly feeding on the town’s population for centuries. Now Max and Harriet must try to convince the sheriff of their discovery before it strikes again.
In the beginning, director Brad Rego follows Spielberg’s “Jaws” style; we hear the creature, but we barely see outlines of it in the shadows, and as the film progresses, we see a little more of it, but in the last act, when it finally makes its appearance, it’s painfully evident that the film’s budget didn’t allow for the creature effects and instead of seeing something genuinely terrifying, we are relegated to a man in a rubber suit, not the payoff I expected, or hoped for. Up to this point, “Cryptid” is enthralling, engaging, and, at times, genuinely suspenseful. The entire cast, especially its two leads, Nicholas Baroudi and Ellen Adair, share undeniable onscreen chemistry, and even the supporting cast do well in their respective roles, but once the finale hits, all terror and scariness is replaced by unintentional laughter as the rubber monster chews people up.
If the movie had followed through on its scary premise, staying consistent with the serious overtones of its first two acts, “Cryptid” could have been a cult classic. I know I was thoroughly enjoying it until the creature appeared, and while I understand that many films have low-to-no budgets (I’ve been there), sometimes forcing filmmakers to cut corners, its attributes like this that can either make or break a movie. “Cryptid” follows in the footsteps of “The Legend of Boggy Creek,” “The Mothman Prophecies,” and “Lake Placid,” and while “Lake Placid” added a lot of humorous overtones, “Cryptid” remains solemn and contemplative, and, for the most part, works as a result. The film is beautifully shot in anamorphic widescreen by cinematographer Kevin Provost, evoking horror movies of the ’70s and ’80s, while director Brad Rego delivers an exceptionally well-made horror thriller. Up until the monster reveal. Once you see the creature in all its rubber glory, it’s hard to unsee it. Hopefully, his next movie, “Penitent,” a supernatural horror, will make up for “Cryptid” ’s anticlimactic denouement.
Available on DVD February 7th
