Hoax (2019) User Reviews

An honest review of Hoax

[mikedegroot · 4/10 · 21 August 2019]

The couple rave reviews are obviously fake, but the movie is not complete garbage or unwatchable by any means.

The acting is about average but adequate. The cinematography and sound design, while not great, are serviceable and do nothing to add or detract from the experience. The gory practical effects are actually decent, but the bigfoot itself (which is rarely seen) is pretty shotty.

The characters are blatantly stereotypical with the corporate shill, self centered journalist, ex-marine badass, the smoking hippie, and the good-natured scientist who's only there for the much needed money.

The story itself starts out very cliche, kind of like 'Anaconda' but with a bigfoot. The first three quarters of the film feels very much like this, but the story takes a strange turn at that point and it becomes something different entirely. I give them props for trying something a little different here, but doesn't quite feel like it's part of the same movie and very out of place.

Overall, it is watchable but kind of loses itself at the end. It's not going to win any awards and is fairly forgettable, but if you want to turn your mind off for a little bit, you could definitely do much worse. 4.5/10

runs out of steam

[stehartley · 3/10 · 6 December 2020]

This movie started off really well and moves along at a nice pace but the ending really lets it down, could have been so much better. decent performances from some of the actors and the nice premise. for me the ending let it down, felt like they couldnt come up with a good idea. worth a watch but dont expect to much

For most of the movie it was okay... then it just got stupid.

[lord-blade · 2/10 · 29 October 2020]

The movie started off as your typical "made for TV" movie where careers go to die. And that's fine. We see a billion of them, some are okay, others are just garbage fires. This one was shaping up to be an average monster slasher in the woods type. Some shaky cam, but mostly regular movie shots. And it was okay. Nothing great, but okay.

And then they added something that came out of nowhere and made absolutely no sense, and just completely derailed everything. Honestly, up until that end part of the movie, it was passable time wasting. But then it just got terrible and nonsensical. And then AFTER that, we got an ending that actually fit. So that last section just had absolutely no place in the film.

It's a shame. Definitely not worth watching. Completely ruined by a pointless addition.

Cliched crap done with some film ability.

[jmbovan-47-160173 · 2/10 · 28 December 2020]

Film crew goes deep in the forest searching for Big Foot after campers are found dead. Cliches abound. Production value isn't bad, but boring as most of the characters are one dimensional and stereotypical for this type of movie, and the special effects are largely nonexistent. Oh, and the twist ending does nothing to better the film: it actually makes it worse. Really don't bother.

How is it possible

[vmm-44628 · 1/10 · 22 August 2019]

In this day and age to make such a bad movie. It's ridiculous right from the get go...i.e. the reporter is going bush and she's wearing a white dress, high heels and hand bag. This movie is utter garbage with really bad acting.

Seriously??

[iffitheking · 1/10 · 21 August 2019]

Do not waste your time with this garbage, It's hard even to watch a trailer let alone watch the whole movie.

A Treat For 1980's Horror Fans !!!

[Moviereeeels12 · 9/10 · 24 April 2020]

Unfortunately this film has attracted alot of dislike and hate from viewers which i can partly understand as if you're looking for a big budget with a new take on Big foot, then i guess i would feel a little disappointed, but this film is for your real 1980's horror fan, a little treat to take us back when we were young. It's middle budget with nice location and the story has some twists, some very well done gore and moves quite quickly. If you're a real horror film fan you will notice the numerous horror references, with great nods to creature features and slasher movies, amongst others, also with a small cameo of Adrienne Barbeau, and featuring Brian Thompson & Ben Browder, with a great music score from Alan Howarth ... if don't know who these people are, then this movie is not for you!

My Review Of "Hoax"

[ASouthernHorrorFan · 7/10 · 18 September 2019]

"Hoax" is part slasher, part creature feature and all backwoods horror. The story starts of strong, with slasher heavy events that are very reminiscent of the beginning of 2009's "Friday The 13th". The overall arc is paced a little slow after that strong opening, it is filled with unnecessary exposition and character building. The focus becomes more about attitudes and drama.

The story does pick up just after the hour- fifteen mark with a return to strong creature inspired horror to finish things off, and a cool twist that leaves things open to be explored later. The acting is pretty decent, several cast members are recognizable genre actors, the development of the characters is pretty decent. Some of the dialog is passe, and empty, creating a bit of a drag on the gravitas.

Now the horror elements are a blend of CGI and tight practical effects that offer up a bit of indie grindhouse. A lot does happen off screen before letting us in on the results. So the film never dives full-length into splatter territory. Still, I liked more about the horror in this movie than I didn't. At to that the cool cinematography and atmosphere created by the locations and Hoax is a fun flick for creature feature fans.

Now there is a twist that comes in the end that pulls in backwoods horror ground that was a great surprise. I didn't see it coming but I loved it. "Hoax" does have some flaws, a few characters are weak and lack substance. At times the dialog that seems to dominate the breadth of the film's story at times seems to do more to stretch film length than to add to the movie's plot. Overall though it is a fun indie horror some quality moments.

Sy-Fi Channel Fare

[Griking · 5/10 · 1 September 2019]

I didn't expect much doing into this. It kind of looked like your typical Sy-Fy channel quality movie with a Blair Witch movie meets Bigfoot type of storyline. It went pretty much as as expected for about 3/4 of the film. Crew reaches location, crew starts exploring, weird things start happening and then people start getting killed one by one.

Then we reached the last 1/4 of the movie and thing really kind of went off rail for me. I won't spoil it but really there was no real conclusion. Things just kind of changed, and not for the better.

Acting wasn't great but not terrible. Effects are ok. Basically this is a film that you'll forget about by the next day.

Bigfoot movie with a twist.

[swapnilsarojkar · 4/10 · 24 March 2020]

Movie keeps you intrigued but the ending is not satisfactory. Typical characters but ending will give you a surprise and disappoint you at the same time. It's good for one time watch

Hot take on a Hot Mess

[afrodave_42 · 3/10 · 5 August 2020]

The cast and description caught my eye so I gave it a try, The cinematography is good, I don't blame the actors. The film doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. The film references a lot of other much better movies. the characters are flat stereotypes and not even good at that, I've seen some of these actors in other things and they are fine, so I can only assume it's on the weight of the director. The dialogue is atrocious. Characters' motivations are not established other than the HotScientist trope character. Side plots are brought up but never really done. Yes, this movie might be right up someone's alley. Personally It was a waste of my time and effort. It needed a re-write and a better director for the actors. Looking him up it seems he's done a lot of second unit work, and it feels like that. most of the scenery is shot wonderfully.

HA HA. Don't watch

[ferdmalenfant · 1/10 · 22 August 2019]

This movie is so bad my television exploded three minutes into it.

Hoax 2019 popcorn movie

[pmc-17741 · 7/10 · 4 May 2021]

I like to watch Brain Thompson in almost anything he has done and I still cannot find this on dvd or blu ray. I did find it on You Tube, and saw it twice. So if you want to watch it yourself and form an opinion, go ahead, I did not care for how the movie ended. It is a minor movie, possible a C movie, worth one watch if needing to kill time. Pauly Shore movies are F which means not worth watching.

absolute crap

[carllamond · 1/10 · 23 August 2019]

The only thing that this movie is missing is Paris Hilton. This movie isn't even worthy of background noise

Horrible

[lwilcox07 · 1/10 · 28 November 2019]

If you can get this thing for free do it! The Producers Actors and Director and anyone else involved in the making of this garbage does not deserve your money.

It gets worse as it goes on. MUCH worse.

[I_Ailurophile · 2/10 · 24 September 2022]

At the outset this just seems incredibly peculiar. There's a great deal about the production that initially impresses, suggesting a considerable budget, major backing, and substantial professionalism. Adrienne Barbeau and Brian Thompson aren't exactly A-list stars, but they're more than paid their dues, and they lend some minor star power to the feature. Alan Howarth's name should be very familiar to fans of sci-fi and horror given his past collaborations with master filmmaker John Carpenter, and the composer's superb score here somewhat recalls such past themes as it lends tension and atmosphere to the proceedings. (It's also unquestionably one of the best parts of the title.) Scott Park seems to have some notable background in film production, and his cinematography is immaculate. The very image quality and sound design are pristine; this has no reason to look and sound as good as it does, including loving footage of the beautiful filming locations and surrounding landscapes. The blood and gore looks outstanding. All this is well and good and commendable, and in at least these regards, 'Hoax' certainly has a fair bit going for it.

Weirdly, such mindful construction is contrasted with the uneven tone of the picture, the oscillating airs with which it carries itself, and an overabundance of story ideas. The character writing in particular is distinctly cliched, and tiresome, including the hard-boiled military man, the prissy princess of a journalist, the boisterous and high-strung cameraman, the stubborn and determined organizer, and more. Among other cast members - I don't know if it's just the writing and direction or if Cheryl Texiera is overacting of her own accord, but her portrayal of the good doctor Ellen (presumably a woman of noteworthy intelligence) is unconvincing and frankly aggravating, above all when she raises her voice. And she's hardly alone in such chewing of scenery. Dialogue is alternately bland and overcooked, and scene writing shares the same qualities as the script and the characters. In the same way that no few slashers come across as self-parodies, having genre fun but playing fast and loose with any sense of authenticity, in many ways 'Hoax' comes across as a deadpan but unserious take on similar horror-thriller fare. 'Lake Placid' comes to call, in some measure. But that's not all - like I said, it gets worse.

On the one hand, professional and well-made; on the other hand, cliched, over the top, and unbelievable: What is 'Hoax?' What was it trying to be? Were these discrepancies intentional, a mark of underhanded intelligence from filmmaker Matt Allen and co-writer Park? Or does all the best effort belie flailing incapability, such that the result is inconsistent and uneven? I can't say I didn't have fun to one extent or another, at irregular intervals, but just as the picture doesn't know what it wants to be, I don't know how much I can or should like it. For much of the length it's an odd mixed bag of the excellent, and the dubious; a far stronger approach to the niche cryptid genre than many of its brethren can claim, but also one that fits right in with that company; not abjectly rotten, but... Well. At the same time, the longer it goes on, the more tedious it becomes, and all the more difficult to engage with. As the last third of the runtime rolls around, Allen and Park continue to introduce more and more plot ideas, each in succession more overdone, boorish, and cliched than the last. In the last third, with each passing minute, my regard for 'Hoax' falls further and further, and I've all but completely checked out. The movie increasingly goes from "curious, but okay," to "a godawful mess."

There are solid reasons to watch 'Hoax,' but ultimately, there are perhaps more numerable solid reasons to not bother. For what is genuinely well done here I want to like it more than I do; I also wonder if I'm not already being far too generous. There are still worse things you could watch - but with so many more movies out in the world, and many that are significantly better, why would you specifically spend time with this one? It's not that 'Hoax' wastes its potential, but rather, that it takes its potential and rips off its head, repeatedly slams that head into a rock, smashes that head into the ground with its foot, burns the remnants, then salts the earth thereafter.

No thanks.

scream if you see it

[ops-52535 · 5/10 · 21 August 2019]

Its a film of superb scenic views, a complete ensemble of b-cathegory actors, and an immense feeling hunting the bigfoot in a studio. the screenplay, and the development of the caracters are not complete and the idea of making a bigfoot film has not been advanced.

the actors does not act with an aura and all of the are ego personalities, just as it use to be in the horror mystery genre wher the hunter is getting hunted. also there are so many initiative that runs deep in the sand, and makes much of this film incomplete and inconclusive.

the grumpy old man can recommend, but if you are offered a bed session afterwards, well do that first and see the film in postclimaxisk dizzyness afterwards

There's a decent concept in here somewhere, but needed to be done differently

[jtindahouse · 4/10 · 11 December 2020]

I had a watch of the trailer for 'Hoax' before seeing the film, something I wouldn't usually do. I could tell it was going to be of a lower budget and have some slightly lesser quality acting, but the story was intriguing enough for me to give it a chance. 'Hoax' is a prime example of a decent concept being in the hands of someone who doesn't quite know what to do with it.

There's not a lot of time spent building any of the characters (and most of them are dirtbags) so it's pretty hard to care about their fates. The dialogue is extremely clunky and never flows nicely, the pacing is poor and makes the movie drag, boring scenes drag on and interesting scenes are over in a blink and the film never manages to raise any tension - until a little at the end that is.

The ending of 'Hoax' intrigued me. I was almost completely checked out by that point and just wanted it over, but then the film changed and became something else and it reeled me back in. It wasn't enough to redeem the film, but it did add a little credibility. At the end of the day however this isn't one I can recommend sadly.

Legit Sasquatch Sighting

[TheAll-SeeingI · 10/10 · 22 August 2019]

Horror fans are a fickle lot. Serve them something with some "fava beans and a nice Chianti," and they'll clean their plates, only to then whine about what they've just wolfed down. Yet they're also film's most category-loyal bunch, always returning to the table in an attempt to quell an insatiable blood lust. It now seems those genre junkies may have found their perfect three-act meal in director Matt Allen's creature feature "Hoax" - an engrossing refresh of the Bigfoot vehicle, and a candidate for instant cult classic.

In the nocturnal mountains of Colorado, young campers congregate around the fire as troop leader Alex (actress Ryan Lee) ominously reacquaints the group with the legend of the mighty Sasquatch. Within moments, the team meets with a brutal demise. Bear attack? Hunter ambush? Only a washed-up TV producer has the desperate wherewithal to exploit our culture's lust for sensationalism by taking a production team deep into the woods to monetize the carnage. Played by Ben Browder of "Farscape" fame with the knowing male ditziness and contrived machismo of a slow-cracking soap star, Browder's Rick Paxton is hell-bent on pinning the unsolved crime on the always-elusive monster - after all, what better to drive ratings and stave off Paxton's own mounting irrelevance? It's a premise one would think must have been tapped within the Bigfoot subgenre as many times as a dorsal fin has been spotted within the shark flick template, and yet it's tough to cite any preceding 'Squatch tale that fires on all of "Hoax's" unique cylinders. In fact, Allen does draw mightily on the 'delayed reveal' device Steven Spielberg used in "Jaws," as "Hoax" only hints at the hairy brute long before allowing us to stare into its (allegedly-red) eyes. It's an exercise in great restraint, and heightens the sensory storytelling of the film's beast-tracking scenes in particular: Breathtaking aerial shots of gorgeous Colorado mountain terrain establish the vastness of the Wookiee progenitor's indigenous kingdom, and as the group canvases the dark thicket, we're fed all the wonderfully thick fog and refractory lighting we demand from our forested horror tropes. Truth be told, there's very little blood spilled at all up to and through the second act of "Hoax." Allen knows you want it, yet knows better than to give you too much too soon. So when it does arrive, late-stage, it rains down like the finale of a fireworks display, culminating with a mondo bizarro and intensely queasy finishing move that has us suddenly feeling like we're watching "Deliverance" on bad acid.

Engrained in the DNA of "Hoax" is a campy sense of humor too easily missed in early reviews. Case in point, the casting here shrewdly marries the veneered over-acting of b-movie cheese merchants like Browder and Brian Thompson ("The X-Files") with compelling straight-line performances from Cheryl Texiera, Lauren Ashlyn O'Brien, Brian Landis Folkins, and the aforementioned Lee. The net result is a wonderfully counterpointed, realism-be-damned marriage between "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Melrose Place," and viewers would do well to note that aspirational intentionality. Similarly, the costuming provided to our 'Squatch knowingly eschews any true creep factor and instead pays giddy homage to 1933's original "King Kong." Laud it or loathe it, it feels like horror fans are about to consume "Hoax" in hordes, because that's what they do. Here's hoping the feeding frenzy buys this production team its next (and well-deserved) big opportunity.

An enjoyable ride.

[parry_na · 6/10 · 8 September 2021]

Beware, this opens with a truly appalling bunch of manicured, horny catwalk 'campers' acting like dicks - but mercifully, events leave them behind very quickly and become a lot more interesting.

The director's homage to the horror genre loses points for wearing its inspirations on its sleeve and ultimately resulting in a rudderless film. What appears to be one thing, becomes another, which in turn becomes another, which certainly keeps the audience on its toes.

It's an enjoyable ride, and you can't really ask for much more than that, cheeky even in its myriad 'homages' - but the final revelation will divide some. My score is 6 out of 10.

Great Nod to 80's Horror that TRUE Horror films should appreciate

[TheDollyLamma · 8/10 · 13 September 2019]

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie as I appreciated it for what it was - a well done film from a talented young director with creative twists and nods to historical horror films of the past. It has a setup that we've seen before (yes) but I think that's part of what makes this a great movie. It's a true nod to yesteryear horror with a new twist.

Characters: Some of the reviews below trash this because of the stereotypical setup of the characters. True - we've seen this setup before, but this worked for some of my favorite movies of all time! I enjoy seeing the stereotypical hot-biatch wearing a dress in the woods and the frathole dude who everyone including the audience despises. I think that this makes the movie all the more relatable and I enjoyed it this way.

Music: The score totally makes this movie and it should as it was written by Allen Horwith of John Carpenter fame and the same tension and mystery are translated through this film. Loved it.

Plot: As previously stated - we're seen the general plotline before (a bunch of folks - most of them out of place - looking for something that they probably shouldn't) but it's been the recipe for some of my all time favorites. It throws you back into vintage horror and gives a gentle nod to some of the best. It has some twists and turns with a good amount of suspense and gore mixed in. Definitely enjoyable but not trailblazing into new domains if that's what you're looking for.

Cast: Again, if you're looking for a multi-million dollar budget film with big names, this probably isn't the flick for you. Brian Thompson plays the character he was meant to play again with great delivery and Adrienne Barbeau looks wonderful in her cameo as well. There are some solid performances by young talent that impressed me.

Overall: If you're a true horror/suspense fan and appreciate films like Halloween or The Fog, love catching easter eggs and nods to previous films and are looking for something young and fresh - you should appreciate Hoax. It's a good Saturday night fun film that vintage horror films will enjoy.

Not Too Shabby!

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 7/10 · 13 May 2020]

-1 Star for Annoying character with Hat, complete with stupid lines and creepy laugh.

+1 Star for just having Brian Thompson, of X-files fame, in the movie :) And definitely the best role in the movie

+1 Star for a twisty surprise character meltdown

+1 Star for a completely gory creepy family dinner scene which not only made me hungry but brought back fond memories of my own family!

Okay I liked it! The ending wasn't even bad. It was creepy and gory and weird. A little directionally lost at times but maybe that was on purpose.

I was moderately entertained and even grossed out a little!!!

Bigfoot: Up Close and Very Personal

[leftbanker-1 · 10/10 · 20 August 2019]

Sure, Bigfoot slaughters lots of innocent kids camping out in the woods, but did you know that he also paints watercolor landscapes? Something the "lame-stream" media never mentions. He also enjoys watching figure skating on TV and playing with model trains. The most shocking truth is that his feet aren't really that big, at least not for his size. They are just normal feet, but that doesn't make much of a nickname.

Average-size Foot. That name doesn't exactly instill terror, does it? How about Huge Foot? I'm just thinking out loud here so bear with me, no pun intended.

This may be the best movie about Bigfoot that you will see this month, but there's still more than a week left so this accolade may not stand up.

I can't believe this was made.

Enjoyable if somewhat flawed Bigfoot effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 9/10 · 20 August 2019]

Following the disappearance of several hikers, an executive looking into the group's whereabouts hires a primate specialist to join his team to trek into the wilderness believing that Bigfoot has taken them, only to discover that the legendary creature is now hunting them one-by-one.

Overall, this one was quite an enjoyable Bigfoot film. One of the strongest features here is the expected ferocity that arises during the film's encounters with the creature. These are generally quite fun and chilling with the initial attack on the hikers serving as a fine series of ambushes on everyone. Out in the woods with the rest of the crew, the ramping up of the brutality towards the group which makes this one incredibly enjoyable with the first ambush on the lone girl that draws everyone's attention while everyone else is scattered throughout the campsite and sets up the fine series of encounters that are featured throughout the finale where the creature is shown chasing them through the woods creating some tense encounters here. Given that these are still accomplished with practical effects while keeping the creature off-screen for large portions of time, there's a lot to like with this aspect of the film. As well, there's also an enjoyable setup that arises throughout the first half as this starting point serves a lot to like. With the whole plot being based on the search for the missing hikers and the team coming together to find them, there are some rather enjoyable aspects to be had with the crew setting up their respective skills and preparing for their mission. Dedicated to not only bring them back alive but capturing an image of the creature as well, there's some fun to be had with the film following professionals doing their job in this situation. Building off of that in a fine matter is the later scenes where they're becoming aware that something's out in the woods with them as the evidence, the slowly-dawning realization of something in the woods with them is a highly enjoyable effort. Together with the practical effects used for the Bigfoot creature, these here are what hold the film up over it's few minor flaws. Among the film's few problematic areas is a rather disappointing middle section that spends far too much time in useless subplots to detail much in the way of Bigfoot encounters. Rather than bring in more attacks by the creature on the group who are now fully aware of its existence, the fact that this is mostly dropped for the backstory on most of the characters that should've happened earlier in the running time as this ends up taking time away from the Bigfoot encounters. Likewise, there's very little need for the final twist here that turns what could've been a fun genre effort into something else entirely through a cliched revelation that undoes everything the film had built up before for no reason other than to have a change that was unexpected from the start of the film. Otherwise, there isn't much to dislike here.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Brief Nudity, a brief sex scene and implied violence-against-animals.

this movie actually impressed me.

[skibitzoriginal · 9/10 · 18 August 2020]

Brian Thompson was in it. the people who said this was a bad movie have never seen a bad movie. this movie is not the best and if you go into every movie expecting that you're gonna be disappointed. but this movie is not disappointing. it's entertaining. it's filmed well and acted well. the story is nothing new but if you wanna watch a horror about Bigfoot this delivers.