Enter the Heart of Darkness…in Northern California
In 1993, David Holthouse was working at a cannabis farm in the Emerald Triangle in Northern California when he heard a story…that Bigfoot had killed three farmers. As the years past and Holthouse became an investigative reporter, he thought back to that story, and he decided he had to investigate what really happened and what he really heard. Headed back to Mendocino County, Holthouse learns that the truth could be a little vaguer and asking questions in Mendocino County can be dangerous.
Directed by Joshua Rofé, Sasquatch is a Hulu true-crime. Produced by the Duplass Brothers, the three part series premiered on April 20, 2021 and received mostly positive reviews.
He’s a good researcher…but as a good researcher, he probably knows there isn’t enough meat to the story
The simple description of Sasquatch makes you want to see Sasquatch…“Men claim Bigfoot killed weed farmers”. It is crazy and dips into two of my favorite things cryptozoology and true-crime. While the investigation has interesting turns and twists, the description is still better than the series.
The documentary has a strange path. It is a vague memory by Holthouse and one of those things you think back about. He not only has to determine if someone is murdered, but if there was any legitimacy to the “Bigfoot did it” story since Sasquatch stories are prevalent in the area. The investigation includes research into Bigfoot sightings, unanswered murders, illegal immigrants, and a potential lead in a man also nicknamed “Bigfoot”…but a lot of the paths turn up empty.
The scene of the crime?
A lot of the documentary is driven by the personality of David Holthouse. Holthouse came to prevalence in his attempt to track down a childhood rapist and other intense and dangerous undercover work. He seems both like a dedicated researcher with no fear and also a bit of a blowhard. He is aware that he has a talent of embedding and facing danger, but he knows it too. It feels a little over the top at points.
The series does a decent job with its use of time and what they do have. The danger feels real and there probably is danger, but it doesn’t keep it going too long. Three episodes is probably about right. You might not get the answers you want, but you are given a lot of possibilities (and all the possibilities show how much happens in the mostly rural area.
Sasquatch isn’t the best documentary you’ll watch but it is different simply because of its subject matter. I had bigger hopes for the series because of trailers I saw for Sasquatch. While I still liked aspects of it, it didn’t quite work for me. It is a shame because I do think there is a good story there and the basic premise works. Bigfoot is always going to attract me to a project, but Sasquatch left me a bit numb.
“Grabbing at Smoke”
Episode 1: Grabbing at Smoke Release Date: 04/20/21
David Holthouse is an investigative journalist who remembers something that happened to in 1993. Two men came into their cabin in the Emerald Triangle in Northern California where weed is frequently grown. The men told about the murder of three men by Sasquatch…and now David is questioning what really happened. David begins to research the event and find people who might know what happened…did Bigfoot murder?
“Spy Rock”
Episode 2: Spy Rock Release Date: 04/20/21
David’s investigation turns the reported murder of three Mexican migrant workers and how Spyrock is home to both Hell’s Angels and militant ex-hippies protecting their weed. With claims that the three deaths were a murder and Sasquatch was a cover-up, David realizes he’s treading on dangerous grounds.
“Monsters Among Us”
Episode 3: Monsters Among Us Release Date: 04/20/21
David investigates a potential murderer and is warned of the danger. A rumor of a man known as “Bigfoot” who runs the drug trade leads to another possible track…but the real truth of what might have occurred might never be uncovered.
