Saturday Special: Animal Among Us [Film]

“Fifteen years ago, two teenage girls were murdered at Merrymaker Campgrounds. The case was filed as an animal attack, the camp was condemned, and the killer never found. But something horrific still waits in those woods, ready to kill again.” – October Coast PR

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Hello Folks! I am very excited to share with you all, a brand new thriller that I can guarantee you is going to be a big surprise. Please allow me to explain. The film, for all extensive marketing and publicity reasons, is billed as a Bigfoot movie. Which is indeed, a fair description. Sort of. Much like a film like Jaws could, for the sake of fairness, be deemed a “killer shark” movie. But, when you dig deeper beneath the surface of what is happening in the film, you will begin to see that one of the key elements of the film is not actually a scary AF monster hidden somewhere out in the woods, but it is the human condition. It’s about familial loyalty. It’s about surviving in this world with the odds that were place before us, and the sometimes absolutely psychotic lengths we will go to in order to protect what we feel we deserve. The Bigfoot element of Animal Among Us is more of a metaphorical glue that is holding the fabric of these characters together. The element of “things aren’t as they seem”  begins to take even more prevalence whilst watching this extremely well done film than the idea that there is something out there in the woods waiting for you to become its meal. This is a suspense/thriller that has heart. Albeit a dark twisted and frightening heart, but heart none the less.

Or maybe I’m overthinking it? I don’t really believe this, but it’s comforting to know that I can recommend a film that is simply a delight and should be enjoyed by all even if you don’t feel like dissecting a Bigfoot film to be something larger than it really is. That’s fine. There’s something here for everyone!

No matter how you decide to decipher the meaning behind Animal Among Us, it can not be denied that director John Woodruff has taken a brilliantly written script from Jonathan Murphy and spun cinematic gold in this wonderfully stylized thriller. And you simply cannot sleep on this incredible cast! Everyone was fantastic, but it behooves me to specifically mention the “Bishop trio” of Heather Tom, Christine Donlon, and Larisa Oleynik. The latter being a specific performer who I have thoroughly enjoyed for over a couple of decades now.  Suffice to say that I went from the age of 9 to 13 during Larisa’s run of The Secret Life of Alex Mack. Take from this information what you will, but just know that a quarter of a century later, Oleynik is still a force to be reckoned with, and absolutely crushes it in this truly wonderful film!

Animal Among Us is available now on VOD and DVD from Uncork’d Entertainment.