[5]

Bobcat Goldthwait takes us to Bigfoot country in this found-footage film about a Sasquatch enthusiast who drags his girlfriend into the woods to help him shoot a documentary at the site where the famed Roger Patterson footage of the creature was recorded back in 1967. On one hand, this is easily one of the best Bigfoot movies ever made, but that really isn’t saying much. On the other hand, Willow Creek follows the structure and story arc of seminal found footage flick The Blair Witch Project way too closely for my taste. Both films have an opening act full of interviews with local townsfolk, the middle includes crying into the camera, and the ending, well — I won’t give it away other than to say it’s ridiculously similar to the Blair Witch‘s ending. It’s kinda shameful what a direct rip-off Willow Creek really is, and that’s my main criticism of it. If you’ve never seen The Blair Witch Project, you might get a little antzy waiting for something scary to happen, but I would argue that at least Willow Creek pays off in the end. The lead actors are very good, and if you’re scared of the woods at night (as I am), the last half of the movie might get under your skin.