Wendigo (2002)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this film to a lot of people, I would recommend it to the avid horror fanatic who can appreciate a slow-moving melodrama with dark, mystical undertones and whatnot. However, just remember, this film starts off sloooow. And it pretty much stays that way for the majority of the picture. The film is very well thought out and thoroughly well-written. Larry Fessenden seems to have executed his ideas perfectly in his eyes, and it seems like he took his time get it right, and that's fine with me. There is a psychological aspect to the whole thing, but I wouldn't really say it is a psychological thriller or whatever you would call it, I would just call it horror interspersed with drama.The typical Bigfoot geek might walk away from this endeavor disappointed, this isn't your 70's style camp classic we have here. However, they might walk away feeling good about this one as well, like I did, if they can appreciate some solid filmmaking. It starts off with our broken family trying to spend some quality time together kind of thing for a good 45 minutes of the film a la 'The Shining', and won't really satisfy the horror fan until the second half of the film really. The film is sloooowww, like I said. Patricia Clarkson and Jake Weber's characters are both very well-written. John Speredakos plays his role naturally well, although I had never heard of him until this film. The dialogue is well written, and the most unimportant lines will end up meaningful in the end. The climax of the film is truly the most impressive, and by the end, 'Wendigo' manages to work up a bit of creepiness. The images are nice, lots of dead sticks and s**t. If you're looking for some ridiculously bloody slasher type flick, look elsewhere because that isn't what you'll be getting from this one. The legend of the 'Wendigo' isn't really discussed a whole lot, and someone seeking a ton of information of the folklore of this myth and other Indian myths should probably look elsewhere also, but if you can handle a well-made, unconventional, and original horror story then this could be for you. But be weary if you look to this hoping for it to be 'Urban Legend' or something.WENDIGO -----7/10.

Wendigo sees successful New York couple Kim and George McClaren (Patricia Clarkson and Jake Weber) moving out to the desolate country with their son Miles (Erik Per Sullivan) and crossing paths with the unusual and intimidating locals, in particular a man who menaces the family from the shadows and spies on the couple during sex. At the same time, Miles encounters a mysterious shaman who teaches him about a mythical monster known as a Wendigo.Despite the gorgeous visuals and sinister score, it's hard to grasp what kind of film Wendigo is trying to be. There's an obvious sense of miscommunication in the family themselves, from George and Miles' fractured relationship to therapist Kim's strange treatment of her patients, while the friction between the family and the redneck locals produces some unease, but a lot of this goes nowhere. Fessenden creates some quiet tension through the ongoing appearance of bullets which appear to have been shot through the walls of the McClaren's new home, but subtle scares (which fit a movie with such a low budget) are foolishly replaced during the last twenty minutes by a monster that looks like it was made in a high school shop class.While the film is easy to follow at the start, the final moments are a sea of vagueness and unanswered questions. Some viewers may enjoy the opportunity to come up with their own theories about the film, but presumably many will be disappointed. Wendigo looks great and it's unquestionably well acted (in particular by Clarkson, Weber and John Speredakos), but in the end it's an empty, unfocused film.Rating: C

This movie is S-L-O-W. Spent most of the movie actually waiting for it to 'begin'.The setting was bleak, the script was bleak, the cinematography was bleak, the plot was bleak, the budget was low (not that all low budget movies are bad, but this one had no redeeming features).The plot was more consumed with a vengeful, slightly deranged hunter than the actual Wendigo which made a very brief appearance toward the end of the movie. This in itself was disappointing as this 'Wendigo' was just a bizarre mix of a tree and a stag. Everything about the movie was uninspiring.The parents of the little boy appeared to be rather aloof and at times seemed completely detached from their son. Whether this was down to bad acting or a bad script I'm not sure, but it only heightened my disappointment and boredom levels.There was no food for thought, nothing to pique an interest. With no real intrigue or chill factor, this movie creaked along so painfully, you just couldn't care less what happened by the end.Wendigo's ambiance reminds me of the dull movie shown at the awards ceremony toward the end of 'Mr Bean's Holiday': a movie which is artistic and nonsensical, trying too hard to to be deep and meaningful, but coming across as pretentious and boring.I would never want to watch this again. I only watched it to the end in the vain hope that something interesting might happen ... but it didn't.

Larry Fessenden is an independent director who has focused his career in making horror movies with philosophical and existential subtexts. Despite his sparse production (four movies in 16 years), his original approach to the genre and the quality of his work has given him recognition and praise in festivals and in the independent scene. "Wendigo", the third of his horror-themed films is probably the weakest of them, but it has many of the unique characteristics of Fessenden's film-making that make it stand out among the genre.A young family of three heads to upstate New York hoping to spend a time relaxing hoping to relieve from the stress from the city. However, they find problems as they find an angry local named Otis (John Speredakos) who is not very happy with having them as neighbors. His strong and intimidating presence serves as catalyst for the family's inner conflicts and fears, specially those of little Miles (Erik Per Sullivan), whose feelings of loneliness are increased due to the fear Otis creates in him. As he learns about the legend of the Wendigo, Miles will learn to face the harsh world that is out there.Very loosely based on the Anishinaabe legend of the Wendigo, the movie is a haunting drama mixed with horror that perfectly combines a lucid visual style with a clever storyline. Told from Miles' point of view, the film is genuinely creepy and the snowy landscapes together with the feeling of isolation Miles feels increase the haunting atmosphere of the film. Basing its scares on mood and atmosphere makes the film a rare species among modern horror movies, and the excellent camera-work makes the film look a lot better than other low-budget independent films.Fessenden visual approach may seem a bit "style over substance" at first, but he takes a good time in developing the characters and their relationships. In fact, the relationships between them are probably the most important thing in "Wendigo". From Miles' distant relationship with his parents George (Jake Webber) and Kim (Patricia Clarkson) to both parents' struggle to keep a balance between job and family's responsibilities. The impact Otis has in the family and the Wendigo's legend work perfectly as plot devices to make the film move.The lead cast is superb, with Erik Per Sullivan being an excellent actor despite his young age. Jake Webber and Patricia Clarkson show their talent and the three of them have very good chemistry as a family. The rest of the cast is average, but their work is fine considering that the center of the film are our three main characters. The Wendigo spirit, an important part of the plot, is very well recreated and despite its cheap low-budget look, Fessenden camera-work make it work very good.Sadly, the movie is not perfect and despite having a very strong start, the movie loses steam and by the end it falls short to the expectations built. Larry Fessenden offers a creative and actually haunting film that is severely hurt by the lack of a competent conclusion, a shame if one considers that the characters are very well developed and the plot has lots of potential. The fact that the use of atmosphere, visuals and audio is superb makes the weak ending the more disappointing. It feels as if Fessenden had not cared about how to finish the tale as the movie feels incomplete."Wendigo" has been hailed as both a masterpiece and as a failure. While the movie has enough good things to be called a great film, it's disappointing pay-off and lack of conclusion are a big stain. In this case the best thing to do is to watch and judge for yourself, just don't expect a typical horror film. 6/10