Story: George is a high-strung professional photographer who is starting to unravel from the stress of his work with a Manhattan advertising agency. Needing some time away from the city, George, his wife Kim, and their son Miles head to upstate New York to take in the winter sights, though the drive up is hardly relaxing for any of them. George accidentally hits and severely injures a deer that ran onto the icy road; after George stops to inspect the damage, he's confronted by an angry local named Otis who flies into a rage, telling George that he and his fellow hunters had been tracking the deer for some time. An argument breaks out, which leaves George feeling deeply shaken. When George and Kim arrive at their cabin, they discover that it's next door to Otis' property, and they soon find that a dark and intimidating presence seems to have taken over the cottage. Since, when they stopped at a store en route to the cabin, a shopkeeper told Miles about the legend of the Wendigo, a beast from Indian folklore who is half-man, half-deer, and can change itself at will, the child begins to wonder if the creature might have something to do with his family's sudden misfortune.
I saw Wendigo back when I was 11 years old and unaccustomed to slow burns like this. So obviously I was bored to tears as this was sold as a creature feature (it isn't). Now flash forward to 30 years old me and I actually found this to be intriguing if still slow-moving. Wendigo feels like something coming out of an A24 Studio.
Atmospheric from beginning to end. I find pleasure in horror movies that take place in snowy settings. There's just something so eerie and beautiful about the winter. This one absolutely takes advantage of the surroundings.
Patricia Clarkson (Pieces Of April) is a hell of an underrated actress. I've seen her in so much stuff and yet she's never quite gotten the recognition she deserves. She is fucking fantastic. Jake Weber (Dawn Of The Dead 2004) is solid and carries himself well. They both have great chemistry. Erik Per Sullivan (Malcolm In The Middle) is two steps away from being annoying but I've seen worse children in movies.
There's not so much a mystery as there is a story about a family dealing with everyday happenings. The build-up is really slow and it takes a while before anything truly interesting happens. But once we get to the third act we sail smoothly. This is where the horror kicks in and I gotta say I was impressed with what the director was able to do with its low-budget. The Wendigo creature looks phenomenal. So glad they went with practical effects for this one. That's always a plus.
Wendigo will test your patience. I feel like one of the biggest issues is that there's not a strong story or characters. The characters only work because of the talent behind them. But definitively worth a watch if you're in the mood for something different.
Here's the trailer:
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