Audiences Walk Out on “Sasquatch Sunset” as Jesse Eisenberg Defends His “Labor of Love”
The new film “Sasquatch Sunset,” starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, is making waves for all the wrong reasons. The quirky comedy, which follows a family of Bigfoots living in the forests of North America, has been driving audiences out of theaters with its relentless gross-out humor and bodily function gags.
However, Eisenberg remains proud of the project, calling it a “labor of love”.
Sundance Premiere Sparks Walkouts
“Sasquatch Sunset” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to a polarizing reception. While some found the film’s absurdist premise and committed performances charming, others were too disgusted by the graphic depictions of Sasquatch bodily functions to stick around.
Reports from the premiere screening describe “a smattering of audience members’ ‘ shielding their eyes during gory scenes and making for the exits well before the credits rolled.
“Less than 15 minutes into the film, one moviegoer announced, to nobody in particular, ‘This is the weirdest movie ever,” Variety noted.
Eisenberg Stands By His Sasquatch
Despite the walkouts and mixed reviews, Jesse Eisenberg is standing firmly behind “Sasquatch Sunset.” In a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the actor addressed the divisive reactions:
“When you create something unusual, it’s bound to turn some people off,” Eisenberg said. “There are so many movies made for a mass audience. This is not that.”
Eisenberg, who spent hours in the makeup chair to transform into a Sasquatch, described the film as a “labor of love” for everyone involved.
He seemed baffled that anyone would expect a pristine viewing experience from a movie about Bigfoots.
“If you’re in the creative realm, what you read is one of the most brilliant things you’ll ever come across – genuinely unusual, really funny, emotional, character-driven, and heartfelt,” Eisenberg explained.
A Risky Bet for Bleecker Street
Securing financing for such an unconventional film was a challenge, Eisenberg admitted.
Bleecker Street, the distributor behind “Sasquatch Sunset,” is taking a gamble on the project, set for a limited release on April 12 followed by a nationwide expansion on April 19.
With its A-list cast completely hidden under prosthetics, lack of dialogue, and abundance of scatological humor, “Sasquatch Sunset” is far from a sure bet at the box office.
However, the film’s eccentricity could also be its greatest asset in a marketplace dominated by franchise fare and familiar formulas.
The Craft Behind the Crudeness
While the gross-out gags may be stealing the spotlight, early reviews also praise the craft that went into bringing the Sasquatch world to life. The Hollywood Reporter commended the “striking formal choices” of directors David and Nathan Zellner and the grounding performances the cast delivered from beneath the fur.
Oscar-nominated cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (“It Follows,” “Us”) shot the film, capturing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest wilderness that serves as the Sasquatch family’s home.
And the convincing creature effects were achieved through a combination of prosthetics and performance rather than CGI.
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An Uncompromising Vision
Ultimately, the creative team behind “Sasquatch Sunset” set out to make precisely the film they wanted to make – audience expectations be damned. In a cinematic landscape that often feels risk-averse, there’s something admirable about a movie that so boldly commits to its own uncompromising vision, even if that vision involves copious amounts of Bigfoot poop.
“It was a labor of love for every single person involved,” Eisenberg reiterated. For those with a taste for the unusual and a strong stomach, “Sasquatch Sunset” promises a viewing experience unlike any other. Just maybe don’t buy the large soda.
