Hunting Grounds (2015) User Reviews

I Loved The Connections With The Ape Canyon Incident Of 1924

[sddavis63 · 5/10 · 12 March 2018]

You have to make sure that you have appropriate expectations if you sit down to watch this. Seriously - it's a movie about Bigfoot! It's not going to win any Academy Awards. It's not even trying to win any Academy Awards. So you don't come in to this looking for a great movie that's destined to become a classic. You come into this hoping to find a kind of cheesy, low budget, B-Movie at best. And if you come into this with that expectation, you can sit back and enjoy it - because that's basically what you get. It is low budget, it is cheesy and it features basically an entirely unknown cast whose performances are less than outstanding. It features an unfortunate stereotype of the sole Mexican character as a druggie, and it inexplicably includes a flirting scene at the start of the move as young Michael flirts with a girl in town. She gets credited in spite of the fact that she's on screen for probably less than a minute and is given absolutely no lines. She smiles and waves at Michael. That's it. The actress is named Jordan Neslund, it's apparently the only film she's ever been in and for the rest of her life she can rent this and show it to her friends as proof that she was once in a movie. Good for her. The movie accomplished at least that.

Otherwise the story revolves around four guys (a father-son, their brother/uncle, and the aforementioned Mexican Sergio) who find themselves staying at a run down cabin in the woods and then go on a camping trip to hunt. And, of course, they encounter Sasquatch - several actually, and not a particularly friendly bunch!

There were things I liked about this. Aside from the lifelong memory for Jordan Neslund, even though the performances were unspectacular, I liked the characters. The four guys were all very different from one another, which set up a lot of believable tension between them. That helped move things along. And somebody somewhere had done some actual Sasquatch research. I love Sasquatch stories (don't believe in the big hairy guy, but love the stories) and I appreciated the relationship between this movie and the "Ape Canyon incident" of 1924, when several miners in a cabin reportedly were attacked by several "ape-men." Actually, that story was even told around the campfire as a way to scare Sergio after he had the first encounter with "something" that nobody else believed was a Sasquatch. I would say that this was probably very loosely based on the stories of that incident - and to be honest, I'd really prefer if somebody actually made a serious movie about that incident - whether attributing it to "ape-men" or to local youths (which is the prevailing theory.) That could actually be a decent movie.

As for this one - just sit back, set your expectations accordingly, and watch this. It's not going to be the best movie you've ever seen. But it's not a bad way to pass some free time. (5/10)

There is no such thing as Bigfoot

[nogodnomasters · 3/10 · 5 August 2017]

The film consists mostly of four individuals in a cabin in the woods. When the mother dies, husband Roger (Jason Vail) drinks himself out of house and job. He lives in Uncle Will's (D'Angelo Midili) abandoned cabin along with his college age son Michael (Miles Joris-Peyrafitte) who is not exactly a man's man. The cabin has been ransacked as the proverbial logging company is entering Bigfoot's territory. Roger, who reminds us, "There is no such thing as Bigfoot," invites Will and his drinking buddy Sergio (David Saucedo), the most obnoxious Latino outside of Florida, to come up and hunt and drink...my two favorite combinations. And as you might guess, they encounter some guys in big hairy costumes.

Bill Oberst Jr managed to get top billing for his late cameo role. Maria Damey was cut from the film as the older sister. Film had a hokey ending. Most of the film consisted of needless conflict within the group. A me-too Bigfoot film.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Well, They Tried

[Rainey-Dawn · 4/10 · 11 September 2017]

This film could have been good if they would have left out the first 45 minutes of the film which was nothing more than a father and son drama... they dragged that on way to long. And the boy's uncle looked as if he was going to sit in the lotus position at any given seconded chanting the "OM" - lol he really didn't belong in the woods with the others. And the son was more like his uncle than his father - that's good and bad - the father was a piece of puckie, but the son wasn't any better towards his dad.

The last 45 minutes we finally get to the "Bigfoot" or Sasquatch - that part was okay. I will say they tried to give a good film... it almost worked but it does have it's short comings.

4/10

It's Not Bigfoot!

[doorsscorpywag · 1/10 · 9 January 2017]

Father and son lose everything and go to live in a cabin in the woods. They invite some Mexican night watchman and another kid and go on a hunting trip. Unknown to them the woods are filled with a family of very small Bigfoot who proceed to hide behind trees and make hooting noises.

The four hunters are quite stupid as they run around like idiots sometimes off on their own instead of staying together as sensible people would. Eventually they end up at the mine the Mexican was supposed to look after and can't find the bloke the Mexican hired as a replacement so he could go on the trip. In an earlier scene the Mexican bloke starts firing and explained he saw something furry and 3 foot taller than he was which we have to imagine as we see nothing bigger than a squirrel. The same dude never bothers to mention that after running off like an idiot earlier he fell down a slope and found himself surrounded by human flesh hanging from the trees. Something I would have considered worth sharing with my companions. So now we know where the watchman went.

Anyway these little Bigfoot kidnap dad leaving the Mexican to go mental and kill his mate while another guy from the firsts scene turns up and tells his tale of being kidnapped and anally probed by Bigfoot. I may have become confused with another film for that last scene but by this time I was so bored I was making sh#t up myself.

Then dad reappears and all hell breaks loose for the final couple of scenes as Bigfoot attacks the cabin although seems to have trouble smashing through really thin doors and walls.

The Bigfoot scenes were pretty awful as some small bloke in a monkey suit tried to portray the awesome power of an 8 foot evolutionary throwback. But never looked anything other than a small bloke in a monkey suit. The cheesy grin Bigfoot had made the scenes even more ridiculous. Be warned Bigfoot on the movie poster does not appear.

Anyway terrible film with some absolutely awful acting. I think the bloke in the monkey suits wrote the script as it seemed to be something written by chimps.

No drama, no suspense just 4 idiots in the woods and some men in monkey suits.

By the way my review title comes from the last line of a much better Bigfoot tale Lost Coast Tapes which is worth watching.

Horrible Unconvincing Acting, Predictable, Plain Creature Effects

[RoadSideAssistance · 2/10 · 24 May 2017]

Before I begin reviewing this film, let me say I LOVE creature features. I am so tired of all the scary movies coming out these days that are focused on the paranormal. Those films are generally horribly boring and rely 100% on jump scares to try and make it 'scary.'

Anyway, on to this film. The general premise is a widowed father and his son move up to a small cabin/shack in the woods. The dad is immediately portrayed as a jerk/loser because he can't relate to his son, doesn't want him to go to college, and invites his jerk Spanish friend up to get drunk. Anyway, we're introduced to these 4 characters and there's really no character we are rooting for with exception of maybe the Uncle who seems to relate to the son well enough and stick up for him. The 4 set out to go hunting and long story short discover big foot. Big foot chases them back to the cabin where they have to put up a final fight and try to escape. They are met by another survivor we are introduced to at the beginning. That's about it. Typical creature feature with a fairly predictable plot.

That said, the movie has totally implausible and unconvincing acting/reactions by the characters. When David Saucedo's character (who acted terribly in this movie) goes to take a leak out hunting and sees a Big Foot coming after him (honestly looked more like a giant squirrel moving through the shrubs/ground cover) he fires off multiple shots. Then he falls down into a landing and sees blood and flesh all over the place. He meets back up with everyone and DOESN'T even bring it up or agree with the son/uncle they should go back to the Cabin!

Then the son and David actually SEE Big Foot after being woken that night, one is like 2 feet away from the son's face. And their reaction is COMPLETELY nonchalant after. Like, "OMG big foot is real. Hmm well that's cool. I guess we should leave?" And then are running around the forest with seemingly zero concern for the thing.

Lastly, the Uncle/Son/Mexican guy are all back in the cabin after the Dad gets taken by Big Foot, and the Uncle wants to get the keys to get the car and go get help. Seems COMPLETELY logical to me and these things are scared of guns. Yet the Mexican guy has a HUGE issue with this (why?) and then TWICE STABS and KILLS the Uncle right in front of his nephew. Then has the son help him haul him into the bedroom!? WHAT IN THE WORLD!? Are you kidding me? Who would act like this!?

The creature effects are practical (no CGI) but not great. There is really no shot with suspense and the creature on the poster was what I was expecting. These honestly just look like a weird gorilla and obviously men in suits, they don't seem that big or threatening at all... The creature is also revealed way too often, something that Abominable got accurate (although the creature's face needed some work in that movie). The thing just didn't seem that scary, especially early in the film when one captured guy tricks it into eating tobacco chew and then bashes it's head in with a rock. Problem solved? Honestly a Grizzly bear seems more terrifying than this thing. The gore effects were pretty laughable - one guy gets his arm ripped off and they come apart like jello - see the lion scene from The Happening.

Cinematography/Isolation just wasn't there. Some films are VERY good at creating an isolation feel to it, or danger to going outside. This film just didn't have it. Hell the Big Foot ran off after a couple shots were fired initially. The movie Exists (2014) did this very well IMO for a big foot movie. Other films like The Thing (re- make), Tremors, Alien, Jaws (ending), made VERY good use of this and made you afraid of the environment and lack of resources available to escape. This movie had that setting in the Forest/lack of tech but just didn't utilize it well.

The score/sounds/music is basically non-existent. There is no uneasy tune or score to keep you on edge. Even Arachnophobia which was touted as a comedy/horror had some very unsettling musical scores. The light hearted music that quickly changed to a more creepy tone. This movie basically didn't have any music. Some of the monsters roars are heard early on but they didn't give me unease like the howl from the wolf in American Werewolf in London. That howl still gives me chills... that was a horror film that didn't really have a score but didn't need it with the creepy POV shots and lack of monster reveal (until the end).

Overall not worth your time. The acting is TERRIBLE, the main scare feature (monster/environment) is not there, and the story is a recycled bland one that does NOTHING new to a genre that has tons of these films. I dunno why this has more than 5 stars. Either the producers family/friends came on here and all voted it a 10 or I am missing something HUGE here. And I know I'm mentioning some all time greats/classics, but it's just to compare and show that this movie didn't even come CLOSE to nailing on ONE of the aspects.

For Sasquatch scare movies, Abominable and Exists are far better. The former has good gore, believable acting, and great pacing. The later sets up a scarier atmosphere and some great shots (namely when the Bigfoot is chasing the guy on the bike).

Comedy or horror??

[MsStarrynight · 1/10 · 23 October 2018]

I was laughing the whole time. How can a Sasquatch/BigFoot push down a tall thick tree, but can't break down a cheap wooden door? Oh and the friend Sergio was ridiculously annoying. I guess the story line is ok, but poorly made.

Meh

[seckinlergafri · 1/10 · 8 August 2018]

This film tells the story of his father and son who visited their place of residence in a remote forest after that, all of which became chaotic, when mysterious creatures began to terrorize them. This film has a weakness that is the very bad acting of the actor in this film.

Way Back When I Was A Boy Scout,

[richardbrennan-78429 · 31 July 2018]

They taught us that if you're going out into the wilderness, you'd best bring everything you need to survive with you. And that still holds true today. I thought this flick was pretty good for a monster movie. About what you'd expect, maybe better than the average Big Foot story. I didn't 'get' the Sergio character, though. He seemed to me to be unnecessary and kind of annoying.

Terrible movie

[prestigepro · 2/10 · 6 May 2017]

After waiting for over a year for this movie to come I finally got to watch it. It's not that good. Bad acting and uninteresting characters. If you want to watch a really good Bigfoot movie I highly suggest watching "Exists". Now that's a Bigfoot movie. "Hunting Grounds" pales in comparison.

They are still making these?

[Patient444 · 2/10 · 1 May 2017]

I simply have to keep it short, thus I hope I won't exceed the 10 lines minimum rule.

Hunting Grounds is a 2 stars movie! 1 because it doesn't get any lower than that and 2 because they made production. Amazingly enough this movie was green lighted by someone and it happened. It appeared on rental and I guess a bunch of people got to see it.

What a shame! What a waste of time. Simply put: awful and beyond. Just stay away from this one. It has nothing to bring. It will amaze you, but this is not The Room bad, this is just so bad.

Cheers!

Stupid

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 2/10 · 28 April 2020]

This movie starts out sorta typical with a Father / Son pair who lost the wife / mother going on a move to the cabin in the woods. Soon brother and family friend show up and tensions start to mount as the group begins a beer fueled hunting trip. Then the movie de-evolves into a series of idiotic plot moments as normal humans just don't make the type of decisions these people make. This is one to avoid. You'll be glad you saved your time for something more useful such as watching paint dry.

Into the Woods, I think Not!

[TGGeeks · 9/10 · 16 September 2015]

This film was the last to be screened at Horrible Imaginings Film Festival in San Diego where it won the award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film.

Monster movie by a local San Diego filmmaking team, this could be classified as a "B" monster movie with Bigfoot as the monster. The movie takes its time in developing its cast of characters and the circumstances which brings them to the setting where the monster mayhem is to take place. The cinematography is nice in making good use of the woods in the state of Washington, and the setting in the woods makes use of its own claustrophobia when out in the woods, especially at night. Scenes taking place in the cabin were oddly reminiscent of the original Night Of The Living Dead with the confined space that our humans have to deal with. The gore factor does increase after a time which creates uneasy laughs in the audience. Bigfoot itself looks rather poor at times, but since Bigfoot arguably doesn't exist (although the filmmaker would argue) we must accept what the movie presents. The tension is fun and the final confrontations with the family of Bigfoot is a good payoff for a monster movie of this type. If there is a downside to this movie is that the film's most likable character is the first to die. What breaks with cliché is how it happens. Other than that this is a fun late night/midnight monster flick.

Solid if decently enjoyable effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 25 April 2017]

Following the loss of their home, a father and son eventually move to a small cabin in the wilderness to reconnect but when a group of friends arrive for a hunting trip they find themselves stalked by a ravenous group of sasquatch looking to protect their home and must get out alive.

This here was quite an engaging effort in this particular style. One of the film's greatest strengths is the fact that a lot of this rests on the father/son relationship at the heart of the story, and the first half here gets this done particularly well with the two of them at the cabin basically trying to reconnect with each other. The emphasis on them at odds with each other brings them to a state where they're not butting heads but a more realistic disinterest in each others' chosen activities yet still trying to reconnect and stay involved with each other's lives. It comes off rather nice and believable and is a great way to disguise the fact that there's not a whole lot of action for the first half of the film by getting to know these people. As time goes on and their hunting expedition turns slightly crazier and much creepier, that is paid off in fine form with the slowly-dawning realization that something is out there, watching and waiting. Eschewing the obvious sounds of grunting or loud, inhuman wails until they've already gotten good and freaked out, this one instead opts for the silent assassin waiting in the woods following behind them unseen or continually crashing through the bushes just out-of-sight which offers up a far creepier experience here. The scene where it all breaks down when they find Bigfoot has invaded their camp and go off chasing it through the woods works so well due to the hysteria of the moment, and that spills out into their series of encounters not only with the creature and each other. Given that there's all the action here in the later half, that's where this one really gets quite fun. The creatures have a rather fun, extended battle with the group trapped inside the cabin which has a lot of enjoyable action in this one, and their sense of hunting strategies and cunning makes for some fun times in their ambush on the cabin. Wrapped together with real practical effects and some nice gory kills from the creatures, there are some solid features throughout here. While it's all well and good, it does have a few minor setbacks to it. The low-budget nature of the film means that a lot of the time the darkness with which it's shot doesn't equate to a really easy time telling what's going on. Campfire scenes, in particular, are so dully lit that it's impossible to make out what's happening at times, and that these occur during the film's biggest moments is all the more frustrating. Even the final ambush comes under this problem as the film manages to really undermine the events where they fight against the creature is spoiled by the low light present and it really brings this one down when it shouldn't. Likewise, there's also the film's lack of action in the first half which is where the build-up to the father/son relationship holds the bigfoot action down to the point of featuring nothing for quite a while into the movie, and it can be a challenging introduction for some who don't really enjoy that kind of drama in their efforts. These here are what end up holding the film down.

Rated R: Graphic Violence and Extreme Graphic Language.

PATHETIC

[richkiel · 1/10 · 30 July 2023]

There are poorly written characters, there are annoying characters, there are dumb characters... And then there's this lot. Everyone here is annoying and acting like a complete moron. They are mean to each other, without any explanation as to why and with seemingly no plausible motivation. Moreover, they are not consistent. In one scene they are showing concern, in the next they act carefree. None of these characters has any consistence in their behaviour. That is beyond annoying, considering you are already annoyed by these people and their pointless dialogue. Oh, and when bigfoot shows up, giess what they do? They mock the guy who saw him and instead of going back to the safety of their cabin, decide to camp out in the open. Then they hear bigfoot howling, and immediately dismiss it. One of the characters thinks it might be a bear, and the other 'geniuses' point out that they have never seen a bear in these parts before so it isn't a bear, and by process of elimination, isn't anything. Even as it howls so loudly that it's obvious it's huge and close by.

You know... If you are prepared to torture yourself watching this crap... You need to get a life.

Absolute zero of a movie.

One of the worst low-budget movies out there

[dragatis-52542 · 1/10 · 31 December 2020]

A lot of these lower budget, straight-to-streaming types of horror movies follow the same basic storyline: vague protagonist, unrealistic antagonist, poorly developed backstory that creates tension between characters, oh, and a monster or something. That can still be enjoyable, when there are a couple of likeable characters or a decent story. This movie wasn't enjoyable. The antagonist is so incredibly unrealistic, and the acting so poorly done, that it is almost unwatchable.

Not much to it..I'll give a 2 because I actually felt bad for the Bigfoot's...

[rodlaver-23823 · 2/10 · 10 June 2019]

I love Bigfoot movies...good ones from Harry and The Henderson's to weak one's like, well, The Hunting Grounds. Just nothing original about it. The story line, the Bigfoot costumes, the acting, just not very good. Is it hard to make anything original when it comes to Bigfoot movie's nowadays? Probably. But at least try. I watched The Hunting Grounds right after watching Primal Rage. Maybe that was the mistake. Although PR basically copied Predator in a lot of ways, I still thought it was an original idea when it came to Bigfoot movies. The costumes weren't bad at all. Save your time and watch PR, Exists, Big Legend, Stomping Ground, and there are some good documentaries on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. There's a lot more Bigfoot movies on Prime to check out. I'm on to the next one.

This movie ROCKS !! - from an audience member

[wendylindsay-77591 · 9/10 · 16 March 2015]

I'm just an average "Jane" movie attendee who loves thriller/horror films, and I happen to be a Sasquatch enthusiast. I was very fortunate to attend the world premiere in Durham, NC.

Indeed, I got much more than I hoped for or expected... and from an Indie at that !! ( I am guessing here no star wars budget ?)

Do note it's not just another Sasquatch movie either.

You have a believable plot, character development, relationships, great acting and scenery...roller coaster twist and turns, special effects, and more.

I confess, I flew up out of my seat a couple of times !!

Rating 8-9

A few big reasons for my support.

1- Clearly, someone(s) have researched the subject of Sasquatch in depth. The subject is finally treated with the absolute respect that is it deserves. 2- High marks for special effects, from an average Sasquatch movie viewer. Not only are the Sasquatch(s) amazing on the big screen, this movie sets new standards in that never before have we been shown so many different Sasquatches, so many times, and that up close and personal. I strongly recommend to those who love this genre.

Big congrats to all involved and ...whoop !!

An Effective chiller.

[parry_na · 7/10 · 8 September 2021]

This is a low budget monster feature. The Sasquatch are played by actors in suits, but we see them so sparingly thanks to director John Portanova that, to me, that's never a problem - I often prefer practical effects to CGI anyway, unless there are millions of dollars on offer.

Portanovaa also produces and writes, so his story doesn't over-exert its ambition, meaning that every set piece can at least be adequately realised. This restraint is commendable, and I enjoyed the resultant film as a result.

A few nice twists, some agreeable characters and a fair pace. Can't say fairer than that. My score is 7 out of 10.

Apart from the sasquatch, surprisingly good!

[johannes2000-1 · 8/10 · 16 May 2018]

It's easy to push aside this whole project as yet another creature-feature with the umpteenth attempt to revive the (in my humble opinion) most unrealistic and pathetic monster of all: Sasquatch (or Bigfoot or whatever local legend like to call him). And to be sure: all the scenes where we see the creature (in fact there's a whole pack of them) stumble around and fight and roar, this movie is as cheesy as you can expect. It beats me why nowadays (this movie dates from 2015), with so much more technique at your disposal for special effects and CGI, they still dare to come up with guys in furry ape-suits!

But this film is not just a creature thing. In fact, it felt like looking at two totally different movies somehow put together: a conventional Sasquatch flick and a more interesting one in which we follow the father and son and their mutual issues. The latter is actually quite good and compelling, supported by some great photography, by a good script and strong dialogues and by very convincing acting of both father and son. Even during the attack of the sasquatches on the cabin, where one preposterous scene after another drags the movie down to level zero or beyond, the excellent acting of Joris-Peyrafitte all the time shines through. And while the direction of all the sasquatch-turmoil seemed almost amateurish, the direction of the scenes within the cabin, where father and son are time and again being surprised by yet another assault is actually very good, the jump-scares that it gave me were almost as genuine as the ones both actors pretended to have (almost as if the director for a more realistic effect didn't warn the actors that rocks would be thrown through the windows!).

Well, a silly creature-feature was all I expected (I admit, such movies are my guilty pleasure), so this two-sided movie didn't exactly gave what they promised on the cover of this DVD. But in the end it gave much more and while watching I was really kind of sorry when at last the Sasquatches turned up. I see on IMDb that director (and writer and producer) John Portanova seems to do mostly horror-movies. Maybe he should try a serious drama for once, I bet that would turn out very fine (if not better!) then the horrors.

Based on actual stories

[celtic451 · 10/10 · 31 July 2018]

I thought this movie was great. Yes, it has moments where the acting and logic had some flaws, but if you can ignore those few occurrences, then this is a great movie. I thought the bigfoots were realistic and believable, and I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. One part of the movie was based on the actual testimony of a man that said he was kidnapped by several bigfoots and he offered them chewing tobacco and he said one of them just ate the entire can - and they had that incident exactly as testified in the move - which I thought was great. It's the best bigfoot movie I've ever seen. Ignore the haters and watch it!

Really enjoyable

[helicreature · 9/10 · 18 April 2022]

I had quite low expectations of this - based on some reviews (I wonder if we watched a different film?!) and the sheer number of really poor films about Sasquatch around - but it exceeded my expectations by a mile. Putting aside the character of the uncle (just why?), the acting was much more real and subtle than one expects from an American movie and the Sasquatches were believable. Definitely worth a watch.

"I Brought Booze!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 21 June 2021]

In HUNTING GROUNDS, a father and his teen son head out to a deep woods cabin (aka: a rickety shack), after a financial hardship. Upon arrival, they realize that someone / something has wrecked the place.

Dad seems fairly stable, while junior looks like he's been hit in the head. Hard. An uncle shows up with his extremely annoying, hateful friend, Sergio, who dinks. A lot. Sergio has also brought guns.

As day turns to night, bickering and pouting break out. The son displays his angst, while dad faces his inadequacies. Male bonding takes place, while Sergio gets hammered with dad.

Wasn't there a rumor that Bigfoot was in this movie?

Further male bonding erupts between junior and uncle Will, during a convenient meteor shower.

Next morning, Sergio inspects his arsenal. Intense deer hunting ensues, despite junior's feeble protests. Men with guns sit, while Sergio eats Oreos. No Bigfoot though.

Uh oh!

A scream is heard in the wilderness! At only 40 minutes into this movie, we could finally be getting somewhere!

Nope.

Sergio goes berserk. Must be out of Oreos. Still no Footy. Wait! A hairy elbow!

False alarm.

More bickering among the useless humans. Even more bonding. What is it with these guys?

Sergio freaks out at the campfire. Perhaps they can make him Oreos out of leaves and twigs. Are there ANY Bigfoot(s) in this movie? A big toe?

At the 50 minute mark, the hairy folk make an appearance. Junior seems to swallow his own face, and Sergio squeals like he's sitting in the campfire. The yeti flee with Sergio in pursuit, as if he's chasing the golden Oreo. Dad is attacked. Sergio runs away. Junior bonds ever more with uncle Will.

Back at the cabin, an utterly Oreo-deprived Sergio goes completely nuts!

Still, no sasquatches, unless we count the occasional, far-off glimpse. When we do get to see them, disappointment fills our hearts. These aren't Bigfoot(s)! These are Wookies! With caveman heads!

Limbs are torn off, now. Heads are popped like pimples. It's too little, too late. The thrill is gone.

Pass the Oreos...