“Cryptid”
MOVIE REVIEW
Similar
to Jaws and Alien, "Cryptid" writer/director Brad Rego teases the
audience with attacks by the unseen or, at best, faintly visible creatures to
heighten the suspense. Like those two movies, he tells the plot slowly and
allows Cryptid to finish in under two hours. For the movie and its audience,
this is somewhat of a mixed blessing.
A
cryptid is described as "an animal that has been claimed to exist but has
never been verified to exist" in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Former
big-city reporter Max, played by Nicholas Baroudi, is currently working for a
newspaper in East Nowhere. Somewhere in Maine, a reporter for a small-town
newspaper discovers a police investigation into an animal assault. He doubts
Sheriff Murdoch's assertion that it was a bear especially when a local woman
and her dog are killed in a second attack.
With
the aid of the newspaper's photographer, Harriet (Ellen Adair), he quickly has
proof that whoever committed the crimes most definitely wasn't a bear. Similar
attacks have occurred in the past, starting in the 1950s. A past that some
individuals would like to keep hidden.
On
the one hand, it gives him the opportunity to give Cryptid a number of
suspenseful, expertly filmed attack scenes, with cinematographer Kevin Provost
making the most of the darkness and rain to build tension and mood.
Watching
the two leads attempt to put the puzzle pieces together is entertaining as
well. Based on tracks and a fleeting glance of an eye, they assume that it is
not only a bear but also that it is a reptile creature.
However,
although being well-developed and realistic, the relationships between the
primary characters are not original. The conflict between Max and the sheriff
over a now-deceased woman and the attraction Max feels for Harriet despite his
frantic need to forget about her. And without cinematographer Kevin Provost,
what movie like this would be complete?
Although
the movie never really drags, there were a few times I hoped they would just
stop talking and get on with it. Even when they finally pursue the beast,
everyone remains frozen in place for a while.
The
creature is pursued back to its lair, where a surprise awaits its pursuers, and
Cryptid does offer a gripping final act with plenty of realistic creature
effects and some gore once they stop talking. Depending on how believable you
prefer your creatures, the identity of the cryptid may certainly cause some
controversy when it is revealed.
When
all is said and done, Cryptid is an above-average creature feature that was
close to achieving its full potential. We can only hope that director Rego
finds a decent editor at the scriptwriting stage because the movie finishes
with a clear setup for what seems like a fantastic sequel.
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