Wendigo

If you ever come upon a DVD copy of the film, just leave it on the title-select screen. The atmosphere created there is far creepier than the over-the-top idiocy that occurs in the actual film.

On a movie night, I convinced a group of friends to watch this because I thought the idea of an actual Wendigo would lead to a good horror movie. They haven't spoken to me since.

I'm a sucker for spacious nature shots in the snow. The ability the film has to make it feel like you're trapped in the wide open is a thing of beauty. The fast cutting, while not as popular as it became a few years later, fits the film really well and gives it a surreal feel. Almost silent except for wind howling through trees or a snap of a twig in the distance. A true horror of the mind. The end kind of goes of the rails and almost kills the vibe, but the first 3/4 are too good to deny.

Dull, tedious, bland, painful dreadful. One decent effect but don't fall for the misleading reviews by The New York Times on the box.

crap, awoid

Twigs aren't scary.

One of the worse films I've had the misfortune to see.

"Fessenden's narrative is just as much about the ownership and redefinition of myth as it is about a domestic unit finding their way to joy." - Ed Gonzalez

With this being 2001, but an apparently low budget, I really appreciated Wendigo's high reliance on editing effects. I'm not surprised to discover that Fessenden is the editor of his own film, since the editing is such a labor of love. The script is not so cookie-cutter horror, either, and there's no absence of creepiness. However, it's ultimately disappointing (and hardcore horror purists will demand their money back).

Decent horror that ultimately takes too long to get going. There is nothing wrong with character development so long as it keeps the flow moving at a good pace (especially in the horror/suspense genre).

I had little to none interest in seeing the end of the movie when I was about the half of it so I stopped watching.

B

It is weird and not always effective, but when it works, it does truly work. The sense of claustrophobia is real with the shots that don't provide you with much vision and the atmosphere can get very creepy. While the plot is not all that impressive, I did like the general mood of the film which is much more effective than you see in a lot of movies calling themselves horror flicks. If you're looking for instant thrills, gore and a fast-moving plot, this one isn't for you.