I think that one of the really endearing things about cryptids is how regional they are. They reflect the region they are seen in, the people they are seen by, and they inform the culture of the area. No matter how far fetched they are, and how dodgy the sightings remain, regional cryptids become part of the fabric of an area’s identity. With the growth of podcasts, and vloggers you have seen the interest in, and search for cryptids really explode. Anyone with a camera or mic can get a guide book and hit the road in search of the creatures in the dark.
The problem here, as with people who think they can solve crimes just because they watch true crime shows, and have a podcast, is that the reality of a situation is much different than the fiction. If you head into a strange town wanting to spill their secrets, or an unfamiliar woods thinking you can just wander in and not get lost then you are definitely setting the stage for a difficult trip into the unknown.
CRUEL is presented as a documentary done by friends after someone they know has a deadly encounter with the Michigan Dogman. This cryptid is similar to a werewolf, but has the appearance of a dog. We are given the background of the attack, an interview with one of the victims, some interviews with the people who live around Cross Village, and then an exploration of the woods where the sighting happened. The friends are focused more on the documentary they want to make than the tragedy a friend befell, and with a serious lack of respect for the area or what they are searhing for, when things take a dangerous turn it’s clear that the friends had no idea what horrors they were going to find.
I have to say it was pretty fun finding a found footage film that was in, and about a cryptid in Michigan, my home state. The dogman has gotten pretty popular in recent years, but there are still not too many movies out there about it. As interesting as it was though, the film really doesn’t do itself any favors with its slight runtime, and loose structure. The actors are clearly familiar with one another, and there’s chemistry, but the conflicts that pop up between them isn’t earned, and the deep holes in logic that come up really kneecap the film.
The idea of the film is solid, the structure works, and it’s clear that they were really into this, but it feels too much like a movie done over a weekend. The heart of the film is interesting, but once the movie enters the woods things really become very cliched and familar. The friends begin bickering about where they are going, whether they are lost, and if they even care about what they are searching for, and it’s clear how much of an inspiration THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT was. And that’s fine, but things fall into becoming akin to a cover band. They also muddy the film by forcing a barely examined supernatural element to the film, which takes the simple concept and over-complicates it.
At just under an hour, a lot of things could have been cleared up with a longer runtime – even adding 10-15 minutes of story/background/character work would have really enhanced things. Even so, with choices made by the characters at the end of the film that defy logic, humanity, and the friendships we are meant to believe they have, the movie falls apart.
I love watching folks have fun making a film, and give them tons of credit for seeing the project through. I loved seeing one of Michigan’s cryptids featured, and the core of the idea is there. I am curious if the intention is to do more of these, as that’s the impression you are left with. There’s definitely a LOT of meat on the bone, but that’s not always a good thing, as that can lead to perpetually leading the viewer on, with no real goal of explaining things, or worse, revealing that you don’t know what’s happening yourself. The film starts pretty strong but loses the plot and meanders without giving us anything satisfying.
It’s a short film, and we diehards will watch almost anything in the subgenre, and it ticks a lot of the found footage boxes. It didn’t work for me, but you may enjoy seeing a unique cast hunting down a regional cryptid more than I did.
1.25 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 