#The 10 Most Ferociously Fun Bigfoot Horror Movies

October is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “31 days of horror.” Don’t bother looking it up; it’s true. Most people take that to mean highlighting one horror movie a day, but here at FSR, we’ve taken that up a spooky notch or nine by celebrating each day with a top ten list. This article about the best Bigfoot horror movies is part of our ongoing series 31 Days of Horror Lists.

Bigfoot gets no respect. As a fan of the big guy’s horror movies — I’ve actually written a much bigger list of ranked Bigfoot movies elsewhere — it saddens me to see the lack of love afforded the hairy creature both on and off the screen. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of Bigfoot movies out there, particularly of the horror variety, but the bulk of them aren’t all that well made. Worse, even the ones that are legitimately entertaining are too often dismissed by genre fans.

That dismissal of Sasquatch’s cinematic offerings extends even to the Boo Crew as some members — I won’t name names — have watched far too few Bigfoot movies and like even fewer. It’s shameful really, but here we are. Anyway, please join me and the crew (Chris Coffel, Valerie Ettenhofer, Kieran Fisher, Brad Gullickson, Meg Shields, Anna “Bigfoot Shmigfoot” Swanson, Jacob Trussell) break down ten of the best Bigfoot horror movies!

10. Return to Boggy Creek (1977)

Bigfoot horror movies are already a subgenre unto themselves, but there are various sub-subgenres as well. One that we don’t really see much of these days is the folk-tale style that treats the legend as true and the locals as believers. This follow-up to 1972’s monster hit The Legend of Boggy Creek keeps the same tone and style to deliver a suspenseful tale of Bigfoot creeping out the populace and audiences alike. It’s low-key compared to most other Bigfoot movies, but it features some effective sequences of tension and terror alongside appearances by TV’s Dawn Wells and Dana Plato. It won’t knock your socks off, but consider it a gateway horror movie for kids who like Harry and the Hendersons because the beast, while spooky, also saves some kids from bad weather! (Rob Hunter)

9. Creature from Black Lake (1976)

A mysterious creature is stalking the swamps of Louisiana. This prompts two city-slicker college students to travel down south and investigate the murders. They have a difficult time getting the locals to talk about the Sasquatch, but it doesn’t take long until the legendary monster finds them. While the movie could use more shots of the monster, Creature from Black Lake is a gem that’s elevated by some likable characters and an abundance of charm. The film also has a spooky atmosphere that really captures the mood of the swamp, which is its strongest quality overall. (Kieran Fisher)

8. The Capture of Bigfoot (1979)

As they say in The X-Files, I want to believe. The hairy missing link is out there, somewhere. With my fingers and toes crossed, I watch every Bigfoot movie caught in desperate hope. This is a flick that will keep the spark of imagination and wish-fulfillment lit within. The Capture of Bigfoot is not a good movie, but its director, Bill Rebane, is a believer. His desperate desire seeps from every blurry inch of this flick, and the dream of the apeman is kept alive. Sure, Lloyd Kaufman considers this to be one of the worst films his Troma Entertainment ever distributed, and that might be true, but The Capture of Bigfoot is a damned earnest experience, and for fans of this glorious subgenre, it happily flames our belief. The truth is out there, struttin’ through the woods at this very moment. (Brad Gullickson)

7. Primal Rage (2017)

If you’re reading this list, I’m willing to bet you have more than a passing interest in Bigfoot horror movies. That means you’ll probably enjoy Primal Rage, which follows a married couple road-tripping through the Pacific Northwest when they’re unexpectedly sidelined by a ‘squatch encounter. The film is the directorial debut of special effects artist Patrick Magee, whose skill has been on display in films such as Alien vs. Predator and Spider-Man. As one might expect, the special effects, creature design, and makeup are the film’s strong suits. Beyond that, well, results may vary, but this is certainly a film for seasoned Sasquatch fans. Everyone else, consider this your warning. (Anna Swanson)

6. Demonwarp (1988)

What if I told you there was a film in which Oscar winner George Kennedy attempts to track down Bigfoot only to have the creature sneak up behind him and smash his head into a rock? And what if the Bigfoot in question was more of a werefoot with a knack for stealing electronics? If that sounds confusing, don’t worry because the movie also contains aliens and one zombie-like being that does a wicked Jack Nicholson impression. Oh, and religion seems to be pulling all the strings. Obviously, I’m talking about Demonwarp, and it’s even better than it sounds. (Chris Coffel)

5. Exists (2014)

Most Bigfoot movies go through the same motions: people go into the woods, the woods wind up having Bigfoot in them, chaos ensues. Exists doesn’t break any new ground (in either the found footage genre or the Sasquatch department), but, for what it is, it’s a pretty good time if you know what you’re getting into! Which is to say: ninety minutes of dumb-dumbs getting absolutely wrecked by Bigfoot. What Exists does bring to the table is something resembling suspense. Which is more than some of its peers can say. Exists is the answer to the question of what if the titular witch of The Blair Witch Project was Bigfoot? And if you’re down for a certain flavor of silliness, it’s a pretty rad bait and switch. And with one half of the Blair Witch brain trust behind the camera, you know what you’re paying for. Of all the found footage Bigfoot movies (and I’m told there are a lot of them), Exists is…shockingly decent. So, if you like found footage and you like Bigfoot, congrats they made a movie just for you! (Meg Shields)

4. Cry Wilderness (1987)

Much like the road to hell, Cry Wilderness is paved with good intentions. Predating Harry and the Hendersons by a few months, this deliriously watchable take on the Bigfoot legend is an unapologetic riff on Amblin Entertainment’s whimsical 1980s fare, despite sharing more similarities to an E. T. clone like Juan Piquer Simón’s The Pod People than anything Steven Spielberg produced. Despite its hammy acting and B-movie aesthete, what works about Cry Wilderness is that it has a true sense of style, however unintentional. It’s gorgeously photographed in and around state parks across central California, with extensive usage of wildlife that makes the film’s budget feel ten times as large. There’s a dreamy Italian Horror softness to some of these striking images, especially when Bigfoot is backlit by neon pink lights calling out to our protag Paul in the middle of the night. Sure the mythical beast’s voice may be incredibly uninspired, but it’s part of the splendor of this unconventionally fun film. It has the quirky, sleepy charm of an ‘80s paperback Bigfoot novel for the YA crowd — an acquired taste that’ll be delicious to those who crave it. (Jacob Trussell)

3. Night of the Demon (1980)

For my money, Night of the Demon remains the most purely entertaining of the Bigfoot horror movies for one simple reason: it is gloriously and gorily bonkers. Like Demonwarp above, this absolute goddamn gem of a film unleashes a plot that starts as a straightforward Bigfoot thriller before shifting into an utterly absurd and massively fun back half. The story takes some turns that are as silly as they are nasty, but the main thrill here is the carnage unloaded on human flesh by Bigfoot. There’s so much to love here, but if the scene of Bigfoot slaughtering two Girl Scouts while effectively growling “Why you stabbing yourself? Why you stabbing yourself?” as he forces them to do just that, doesn’t move you, then I don’t know what to say. It’s magic, shaven-chest Bigfoot and all. (Rob Hunter)

2. Abominable (2006)

Genre cinema has seen all manner of riffs on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, but this is the only one to feature Bigfoot. That’s really all you need to know, but just in case, please trust me when I say this tale of a wheelchair-bound witness to Bigfoot’s rampage delivers the goods. It’s bloody as hell, makes time for some silly T&A, and affords ’80s/’90s staple Matt McCoy a rare lead role. The monster looks pretty great, too, which isn’t something that can be said about most Bigfoot horror movies. (Rob Hunter)

1. Willow Creek (2013)

There are plenty of lackluster found-footage horror films, and there are more than a few dud Bigfoot films, too, but somehow, in combination, the two subgenres are capable of creating the perfect movie cocktail. Willow Creek is not only a prime example of a Sasquatch found footage film that delivers on both counts, but it’s also a treasure trove of fun for true fans of the cryptid. In it, Sasquatch enthusiast Jim (Bryce Johnson) takes his skeptical girlfriend, Kelly (Alexie Gilmore), to the small Northern California town where the real-life famed Patterson-Gimlin footage was filmed. Relationship issues are realistically hashed out, a real-life tourist spot is lovingly portrayed, and when nighttime rolls around, the ‘squatch hits the fan. Willow Creek lands as the best of the Bigfoot horror movies because it is as interested in the myth-making aspect of Bigfoot as the reality. It builds a foundation of intensity upon first-person accounts and warnings from spooked townsfolk, then drives it home with an unrelenting real-time finale. (Valerie Ettenhofer)