Review by Peter Syslo
WENDIGO (2001) is another impressive film from the mind of Larry Fessenden. He, in my opinion, is one of the most original and exciting horror directors who are “on the scene”, today. His creations are not typically straightforward horror films and he is not a part of “The Splat-pack”, but it is his unique voice that may actually propel the horror scene forward. His horror is more of the thinking man’s, artistic sort, but that doesn’t make the films any less enjoyable. Moreover, his films are very-well written and the characters are very realistic – which does add a lot to the film experience.
WENDIGO is written, directed, and edited by Larry Fessenden (HABIT, THE LAST WINTER). The film stars Patricia Clarkson (Kim), Jake Weber (George), Erik Per Sullivan (Miles), and John Speredakos as Otis.
The movie is about a family (Kim, George, and Miles) who are on their way to a vacation home in Connecticut . After dark, they run into trouble when they hit a deer on a woodland road. They encounter three hunters who were pursuing the deer and one, named Otis, is a little upset that the family hit “his deer”. From the start, it seems like Otis has a problem with family man George – you could feel the tension between them. Anyway, the family finally gets to the house (a friend let them use it) but the whole time, Miles (the son) is frightened and uneasy. Also, George finds a bullet that was shot into the house, at some point in the past. Things become even more tense when the family learns that Otis lives nearby and when Miles is mesmerized by and picks up a Wendigo statue at a local shop. As expected, things come to a head between Otis and the family but there is another surprise in store as everyone learns the true meaning of the legend of Wendigo.
This film was truly a pleasure to watch, even though I felt that it could have used a bit more “juice” when it came to the horror element. As I implied, it is not a straightforward horror flick and actually, I feel that it didn’t even need to be marketed as such. It is a solid, dramatic film about relationships (at its core) and it really didn’t need the Wendigo component in order to be enjoyable. However, the other edge of that sword is that it may be a little bit of a let down for horror fans who are expecting a creature film or a hack n’ slash feature. Honestly, I was expecting a little more involvement of the Wendigo, in the overall story. That’s really the only negative thing that I have to say about the film – I just wanted a little “more” from it.
Aside from that, though, the movie was beautifully filmed, the atmosphere is dark and foreboding, and the Native American Wendigo legend put a nice supernatural spin on things (although the Wendigo effects were a little “eh” at times). The best aspect of this film, however, is the masterful scripting of Mr. Fessenden; he is a lot like Lucky Mckee in that he has such a precise understanding of human relationships. The dialogue between the characters is so realistic, believable, and naturalistic that it really involves you in the story (it is very relatable) and you do actually care what happens to the characters. Also, the great acting from everyone involved really “made” the film: Jake Weber is awesome as the father – he plays that “dad” sort of character so well (he played a similar character in DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)); Patricia C larkson was great as the supportive and understanding mother who is trying to reunite and strengthen the family; Erik Per Sullivan gives one of the best child performances I have seen, as Miles; and John Speredakos, as Otis, plays a brilliant antagonist/a-hole, who is being psychotically territorial – he is that kind of villain where you are not sure exactly how dangerous he really is (like Dennis Hopper in BLUE VELVET).
Cutting to the chase: WENDIGO is a well-made film that you have to appreciate and understand. You have to go into it expecting more story and character development, than chills and thrills (although it does have some). If you want gore or numerous kill scenes (not that there is anything wrong with that), then this is not the film for you; that’s where I think some people may be “tripped up” by the marketing. But, if you want a solid, realistic film about relationships and about the spiritual aspect of nature then WENDIGO will be very fulfilling. The only thing that prevents me from giving it a “10” is the fact that I wanted a little more “horror” in it. Actually, I would love to see what Fessenden could do with a traditional slasher film or monster movie – his writing and direction merged with some intense horror would be incredible . I give WENDIGO a 9 out of 10.