Nightbeasts (2010) User Reviews (406)

I wanted to hate it

[m-skee · 5/10 · 6 May 2021]

I originally decided to watch this movie simply because of the numerous and obvious fake reviews. I wanted to tear them apart knowledgeably. But I'll be darned, I ended up liking this stupid movie.

At first I didn't know what to make of it. As a horror movie it sucked. But I clued in once Sasquatch started playing with the lights and sirens in the sheriff's car. My hunch solidified when I watched the old medicine man Crustyfoot interview to join the local tribe (I mean the questions were hilariously random). It's a total spoof of the 70's and 80's era Bigfoot movies. Lines like, "the earth troubles me this evening old man" and "No, not Clarence! Why God?", were delivered with a straight face. (The Deputy Clarence referenced was played by an English actor with an over the top hick accent, an IQ of 32, and irritable bowel syndrome.). The dad was played by Billy from Gremlins and he cracked me up. The son was perfect. Actually all of the acting was just horrible but you could tell it was done on purpose and it was done exactly right. Although I could've done without the ex wife character, she was just annoying and unnecessary.

The absolute best part was the Sasquatch. This was no lone Bigfoot running around, there were large groups of Bigfeet all over the place! And the suits!!! O. M. G. They were awesome! Imagine giant size Ewoks with ZZ Top beards. To perfect the look they took the facial expressions straight from Harry and The Hendersons. It was awesome.

The plot was simple. Dad and son go to the cabin for some hunting. You have the Indians (who live in teepees), the locals (who live in a shantytown out of the Wild West ), and "The Law" consisting of Sheriff Horace and Deputy Clarence. They are all shown with exaggerated stereotypical flair. The monsters come down from their caves to enact justice on the white man. Father and son try to survive.

Filming was professional, you could see everything even during the night scenes, sound was even, you could understand everybody even with the come and go accents, and the location looked good.

Don't go into this expecting horror or jump scares, you'll be disappointed. Just remember it's a parody, it won't give you straight up comedy. But you will be amused.

So, while the reviews are still totally fake, this movie ended up being pretty ok. I'd call it a solid 5/10.

Fun retro creature feature

[laptopzombie666 · 29 November 2013]

Forteana and horror have always been closely linked, and it doesn't get much more fortean than Bigfoot. There are a wealth of Sasquatch-themed horrors heading our way in the next few months (Travis Bain's THROWBACK, mockumentary DEAD BIGFOOT: A TRUE STORY, Mike Lenzini's BEAST: A MONSTER AMONG MEN, Mark Bacci's THE WOODS, Bobcat Goldthwait's WILLOW CREEK), but no amount of hairy horror hominids is ever enough. Which brings us to writer/director Wes Sullivan's NIGHTBEASTS. With an extensive background in animation, including work for Disney and Warner Bros, NIGHTBEASTS is Sullivan's first live action feature, and stars GREMLINS' Zach Galligan as a father and hunter attempting to protect his family from a whole tribe of the feral man-beasts. Shot on film, and boasting non-stop action and some sumptuous cinematography, NIGHTBEASTS transcends its sometimes dubious acting and clunky dialogue to deliver a rousing horror/action B-movie hybrid. Well worth checking out.

Suspicious IMDb Rating - this is not a good movie

[RodneyVervegard · 3/10 · 27 October 2017]

This movie currently holds a 7.3 rating. A majority of the votes are '10'. In no shape of the imagination should anyone give this movie a 10/10. My guess is that the only people rating it are the production crew and their families. Given the number of reviews that mention Zach Galligans acting ability and handsomeness my guess would be that Zach or his agent has written quite a few.

While the movie has some bright spots and some potential, it fails miserably on early promise and is just not good. In my mind a coherent story with believable dialog and strong editing will more than make up for cheap special effects. This movie had none of those.

The acting was generally poor. Apesanahquat and Billy Daydodge (sic) did good jobs. Their time on screen were the high points of the movie. I am going to give Zach the benefit of the doubt here and blame it on the script, directing and editing, but he certainly did not save the show. One of the reviews here says that he can teach his costars a thing or two about how to act. If that is true then I can only imagine how bad they were BEFORE he taught them anything. The rest of the cast did not seem like professional actors at all. Perhaps this was their first role.

The story has a decent premise. Hardly any of the subplots are fleshed out. The Barney Fyfe Deputy attempt at comic relief is poorly done. The ex-wife story is vague. All of it could have been done better.

The thing that really irritates me is the jarring transition from one illogical scene to another. It just seemed amateurish.

The monsters themselves are fine. If the movie had been otherwise coherent I might actually worry about the special effects.

In general, it is a poorly done B-Movie. It is mostly coherent but it doesn't maintain any tension and is not worth being your primary focus. Maybe have it on in the background during your Halloween party?

Fortunately I watched it for free on YouTube so I feel like I got my money's worth.

Nightbeasts: How in the blue hell does this have such a high rating?

[Platypuschow · 2/10 · 26 October 2017]

At time of writing this bigfoot themed horror has a 7.8 rating on IMDb, this is incredibly high and I can't for the life of me work out how.

Another clichéd sasquatch film about a father and son going on a hunting trip and coming under attack from our hairy big footed friends.

Starring Gremlins (1984) franchise lead Zach Galligan this dreadful piece of cinema is an embarrassment from start to finish.

I knew it was likely to be bad when I saw Lloyd Kaufmans name in the credits but didn't expect it to be this dire.

Though the creature effects are okay everything else falls flat from the weak script to the mixed tone and pitiful acting.

No originality, no effort, it's like they threw together a film with no work going into it for a quick payday.

The Good:

Sasquatch sfx are okay

The Bad:

Lloyd Kaufman is just terrible

Some of the dialogue is embarrassing

Acting is laughable

Galligan just has one of those faces you want to hit with a flaming two by four

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Sleeping in the same bed as your dad aged 15 odd is totally not weird at all

Blowing the heads off majestic animals is a great way of bonding with your offspring

The time of day can be different on opposite sides of a mountain

Ain't I a stinker?

[df4205 · 1/10 · 11 October 2018]

I've seen a lot of bad movies. I've seen those bad movies you get on "20 Horror Films" in the bargain dvd basket. This one is by far one of the worst movies I've ever seen, I couldn't even finish it, which is rare for me, it has to be a complete waste for me to just stop watching...and this one was. From it's outright racist treatment of Native Americans (I doubt very much the American flag was part of their traditional ancient garb...you know, considering their wasn't an American flag yet) to the "They all still live in tipi's right?" No, it's not the 1500's anymore, they have houses complete with indoor plumbing and even electricity nowadays. To the guy that cut his cigars with his tomahawk. Felt like I was watching an old cowboy flick given its racial intolerance rather than something made long after we're supposed to have more social sensitivity. The editing in this is a joke: One minute we're here, another we're there. One minute it's night, the other it's day. One second we're watching these people talk, next second we're seeing something over there take place. Think the prime example was the father and son talking at night and having the requisite cat jump out of nowhere (when did they get a cat you ask?) and suddenly the scene just ends and it's daytime....what happened? The acting is appalling, even from Zach who we've all seen do much better work. I know he's supposed to be playing a bit of an angry drunk, but it comes off much more as he's just angry at having to be in the film. The son...has problems; he just seems like he's constantly delighted at everything. Big monster trying to eat you? Smile like you're getting a school picture taken. The sheriff and deputy act worse than the two guys in Crater Lake Monster. The mother, as much as I saw of her (I really dropped out after the psychiatrist scene...what kind of psychiatrist is still seeing patients at that time of night?") was your stereotypical stick up her rear end types. It's all a hot mass of bad acting, bad editing, bad logic, bad stereotypes, bad...bad everything. Don't worry son, I'll teach you how to shoot a deer, for your convenience one will apparently stand just out of camera and wait patiently for you to shoot it, ignoring how loudly we are talking, and that we had to go no further than 20 feet from our house to find one..despite being very skittish animals it will stand perfectly still while we chat away, waiting patiently for death. Don't worry deputy we'll find you a bathroom, and some pants, and another bathroom (Use that Glade, Boy!) Wish there was a Glade that would get rid of the stink of this movie.

Sure to be a Cult Classic!

[FatalFollower · 8/10 · 18 November 2013]

I recently got the chance to watch Nightbeasts on VIMEO, this was a fun homage to the Bigfoot movies from the 1970's and 1980's!I really appreciated the performance from Zach Galligan (Gremlins, Hatchet 2) and of course the cameo from the father of camp himself,Lloyd Kaufman. The first part of the movie really established the characters, having the father vulnerable from his alcohol problem and the loss of his wife really made him relate able and made you care for him, some of the other supporting characters were just OKThe son in the movie, actor Tim Thomas did a good job with his scenes with his father Charles (Galligan) and especially towards the end of the flick.

My enjoyment of this movie depended on the look of the "beasts", this was something that the directors and costume people really got right! If you have seen classics like Night of the Demon (killer Sasquatch flick from the 80's)then you would definitely enjoy their look! They were shaggy and were very intimidating, especially towards the end when they start attacking full speed and in groups. The native American angle to the flick was good too, again it was about building characters and I think Sonny Skyhawk as the tribes chief, really set the mood with the story he told the others at the bonfire.

The ambiance of the film was very moody, I thoroughly enjoyed the foggy settings with the blue crisp colors in the night scenes, this brings me back to classic movies like Pumpkinhead for example. Also there was a scene in the movie where one of the beasts darts in front of the vehicle, that is what stuck with me after the movie, it is those kinds of ideas that make the movie genuinely creepy. Imagine driving down the street and seeing this "shaggyman" dart in front of your car! The score was handled rather well, when the sh@#!t hit the fan, you knew it!

All in all it was a very good flick, the only issues I had with the movie that take it to an 8 instead of a 10 is the acting at times from the supporting staff was dry, and I would have preferred a little more gore, but those are minor complaints to a very good flick! So grab your loved one and dim the lights, and just remember... THEY COME OUT AT NIGHT!

Typical Grade C Horror Movie

[dougbharris · 2/10 · 9 November 2017]

I have never written a review of a movie here before. However, the high rating given to this movie sort of forced my hand. It is about as typical bad horror as you can get. A bunch of people running around in rubber suits, nothing new or imaginative, the plot (people in cabin surrounded by monsters) is about as typical as you get and heads where you would expect it to head. The cast is pretty stereotypical. No great acting for sure. I guess I cared a little bit about whether they were killed, thus the 2 instead of the 1. If you don't have to pay money to watch it and have nothing else to do...then look for something else to do.

The Choice Is Yours - Watch Quality or Watch Trash

[raineyellie · 9/10 · 18 May 2015]

My ex-boyfriend lies a lot (ahem) so I totally believed he was exaggerating when he told me the Gremlins guy, Billy Peltzer (also known as a super hot older actor Zach Galligan)was in a movie about Sasquatch. I love the whole Bigfoot myth, with the sightings, real or not. So, when my ex told me to sit down and watch Nightbeasts, I finally agreed to. There I was with a bowl of popcorn at my side when the Sasquatch claimed his(?? - maybe it was a protective momma Shequatch?)first victim. I was so hooked on this movie from that point until the final tense moments. I really enjoyed the believably realistic storyline about alcoholic and divorced Charles Thomas taking his son for a stay in the woods, while dealing with the seriously deep emotions coming from being rejected by his ex-wife. There was a great balance to this movie - just enough gore, enough romance, enough angry Sasquatch attacks, enough Native American lore. The acting was fantastic, the storyline is solid, and some scenes were shot with breathtaking clarity, which is a reminder that not all "good" movies come from Hollywood. I won't be watching Transformers 7 in 2019, by the way.

Over ambitious Bigfoot movie gone bad!

[evilspellz · 2/10 · 11 December 2013]

I rated this movie two stars because i saw it till the end! Anyways my apologies to the director/producer Mr. Sullivan as he may have written this piece of filmography but he did not have neither the budget, actors or even the experience to develop a film on the age old concept of an ancient evil resurfacing horror movie. The acting, editing is off even there are differences in camera work at places. The shootout is plain ridiculous, and most of the things are uncoordinated. The monster costumes kept reminding me of Harry and the Hendersons. The sasquatches are ridiculous and if they're weakness is the light why were they moving around in the day! Utterly uncoordinated! Better luck next time Mr. Sullivan! Direction!

Why You Should Never Hang Out In The Woods

[briannahershod · 9/10 · 10 March 2015]

Super cool, fun, and funny movie. That's what sucked me in around the 7 min. mark - the really humor filled dialog. The scriptwriter demonstrated that he is well skilled in world creating. Very impressed! I'm a huge horror fan,the bloodier the better. This movie had some awesome horror moments with blood flying everywhere but I would have liked to see even more great scenes like that. I totally didn't realize that, until my friend told me) the main character in this movie is none other than Zach Galligan (Billy in Gremlins). He looks fantastic with that classy older man thing going on, with some serious acting skills too. I totally recommend this movie for a Saturday night at home with popcorn!

Definitely Not Typical

[tabascojoe-52312 · 7/10 · 23 June 2021]

I loved this gem of a Sasquatch thriller from go. I didn't rate it higher because it really should've gone on longer and there were some editing issues. Other than that, this movie is the BOSS!!! You will not find another well put together horror/thriller movie out there with the legs and heart this one has. The main feast, naturally, is the Sasquatch lore that set the stage for this movie. That's a great little story on its own. Add in the story of a previously alcoholic of a father, desperately trying to save his teen son, and you've got a great movie. I recommend this for sure!

Nightbeasts

[a_baron · 3/10 · 16 November 2017]

If you go down to the woods tonight you will see...a rapping Injun. Apart from that, you'll have seen it all before.

You've probably also seen a sasquatch, if not the real thing then at least a still that purports to be of one. Surprisingly, the one they kill here looks more than a little like a man dressed in a monster costume. Unfortunately, on killing the first one, the entire tribe turns up after blood.

One would have thought these creatures would have been a protected species, but try telling that to a frightened man with a gun.

Seriously, or maybe not so, the dialogue is not so bad, neither is the acting, neither is the theme, really,but the overkill, in more ways than one, renders this film not even an accidental comedy but simply silly.

Sheer unadulterated rubbish!

[Barebower · 1/10 · 28 April 2021]

I love a good 'hairy man-beast' movie... This is not one of them.

I didn't think it was possible to make a worse film than 'Field Freak' but here it is.

Night Beasts is an editing nightmare, devoid of acting talent, is a script-writing farce and should be 'un-filmed' if that were possible.

It disrespects the sasquatch folklore that it attempts (badly) to centre on.

The plotline is farcical and staggers along like like a drunken sailor on a three night bender.

It doesn't even fit the "so bad it's good" category. It's just plain bad.

You will enjoy gnawing your own leg off more than watching this steaming pile of horse dung.

One star because I managed to get through the whole thing without turning it off...

I Feel Deceived by the High Rating

[koltonbrett · 2/10 · 21 June 2022]

I'm not extremely picky about horror movies. I find I enjoy most horror films I set out to watch that have an IMDb score higher than 5.0. This movie however, was so bad in so many ways, I eventually gave up on it. I just couldn't force myself to watch anymore. The dialogue and camera angles were actually annoying me. The storytelling was awkward and boring. I guess there's just a lot of Bigfoot loving people out there that like anything that features this monster.

How does this movie have such a high rating?

[swedish_lioness · 3/10 · 7 December 2023]

I was pleasantly surprised to find a horror movie with such a high rating (5.4), so I decided it must be worth watching. Boy, was I wrong! The only good thing about this movie was the Big Foot. No fancy computer work here. Just men in costumes running around, playing monster. They were supercute! Zach Galligan wasn't a good actor in Gremlins, and he hasn't gotten any better apparently. Once again, the creatures he stars against, overshine him with ease. And there were plenty of annoying little things that didn't add anything to the movie itself, but simply made me want to reach through my screen and strangle Mr Galligan. Yes, I realise he's only doing what he's told, but still... A father teaching his young son to shoot, using a real deer for target practice?! Really? That alone told me the character was an idiot.

If you want to watch a horror movie, don't watch this one. It might be horrible, but it's no horror movie...

Good Retro Horror Fun

[james-giver · 8/10 · 2 February 2015]

I like my horror movies with an old-school feel and charm to them and this movie really delivered. I don't mind tacky found footage sometimes but sometimes you just want lose yourself in a movie without grainy (obviously fake)footage, jittery camera shots, and a weak storyline with boring characters nobody cares about. I expected the same from this Sasquatch story when I saw the movie poster for it. Why would it be different from all the others? Because it's awesome! Zach Galligan (I'm a long time fan) back on the screen pulled me in to the creepy world of the Sasquatch in an isolated town from his first five minutes on screen. He gives an excellent performance as a drunk who is saddled with his preteen son for the weekend and an icy ex-wife who clearly doesn't believe in him anymore. This sets the stage for some powerful, realistic family interaction against the backdrop of growing horror. Sasquatch will strike but we and they don't know when or how and that's the fun. When he strikes, the body count is impressive. Two hours of good old-school fun.

Enough Stupid Hollywood Remakes! - Give Me More Movies Like This

[ankahprice · 9/10 · 20 May 2015]

Right off the bat - I do NOT want to see another stupid, sub-standard remake of movies from my mom's era. I can just watch the originals and be better entertained. No, what's needed is more movies like Nightbeasts. This little Indy movie is a true shining gem! The well crafted storyline, the actors' performances, the camera work, the night beasts (which look creepily real) - all worked for me. I was hoping it wouldn't end when I did and I could've seen the story continue on beyond the movie's ending point, which is why I gave it less than 10 stars. Other than that - near perfect execution of a movie. I was involved in the storyline and actually was invested in the main characters. When that happens, you have made a truly great movie, like this one. Will Charles Thomas blow away every last night beast without getting a gaping wound in his chest? Will Charles and his ex-wife reconcile? Will Charles stop being a lush and give up the bottle? Will Charles warm up to his son and show his love for him openly? I'm sure the Hollywood execs don't wish to hear from me and others with my opinion but there it is. No more freaking' remakes, Tinsel Town!

A Total Rush

[brandonrivers37 · 9/10 · 3 March 2015]

Holy cow, this movie rocks. Have never really been into Sasquatch movies because, honest, the long scenes of found footage was annoying and obviously unreal. That jarred me out of my viewing experience and reminded me about how awful these types of films really are. When I found this movie, I saw that it starred horror vet Zach Galligan. I became a lot more interested. This dude never ages and can still rock with the young guys and actually teach them a thing or two about how to act. Nightbeasts sets the right tone for a horror movie right away with the dim, shadowed lighting and the background music. This movie had very few uneven moments but, mostly, scared the heck out of me and my buddies. The acting, scenery, and story were very near dead on perfect. Best two hours I spent watching a movie in a long time!

Unexpectedly Good Sasquatch Movie

[shellybloom19 · 8/10 · 27 December 2014]

I know all about "indie" horror films and I totally didn't expect this one to be any better than the countless other ones I have wasted time and money watching. This movie was an unexpectedly good surprise. I love beasts, all kinds of monsters and beasts, so this movie sucked me in from the first ten minutes. The story goes on to tell the audience about an alcoholic, divorced father named Charles Thomas (played by an excellently in form Zach Galligan from the 1980s movie Gremlins) who takes his son to the mountains for a camping trip that goes way wrong when the nightbeasts show up. In addition to wondering who's going to die next, the movie really makes you want to see if Charles Thomas and his ex-wife Patricia will work things out and get back together. I liked that little bit of romance right in the middle of the horror. The story was well written, the cinematography was better than passing, and the acting was pretty good. I recommend this movie to anyone who is a beast lover like me. You may also want to watch Zach Galligan in this movie who is now a great looking older man for the eye candy.

Freakin' Hot Bigfoot Movie

[katiehadlock · 9/10 · 19 February 2015]

I'm a huge Zach Galligan fan and have been since my mom introduced me to the Gremlins movies years ago when I was a little kid. So I saw this movie, Nightbeasts on the internet and knew I had to watch it. Zach Galligan is a still handsome older guy and his acting is some serious business. I was sucked into this movie right away with the creepy music and the fog up in the mountain town where the movie is set. I really, really loved seeing the Sasquatch monsters for the first time. I jumped in my seat. I was rooting the whole time for Charles (played by Zach) and his ex, Patricia to get back together because even though he was dealing with alcoholism, he still obviously loved her. This movie is worth your time and money because it does deliver.

Horror Done Right but with No Scream Queens

[tdmiles72 · 9/10 · 17 December 2014]

Over and over, we have the standard horror movie clichés: screaming girls who trip and fall, the phone lines being conveniently cut...etc. Not so with this movie. The heroines in Nightbeasts are tough mamas who know how to lock and load and are more than ready to face the dangers in the dark head on. Even before the action starts, something seems off in the little town and boy, is it ever. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between father and son as the movie goes on, with the pervasive threat of danger lurking around every corner they turn. The story also avoided tired, pitfall Native American stereotypes. Handsome horror veteran and 1980s Gremlins hero, Zach Galligan, turns in a stellar performance as a life-weary, recovering alcoholic dad, but is still cocky enough to toss out some great, believable dialog with his own distinctive charm. Zach usually plays the good guy hero, and while he is a hero in this movie, he shades the goodness with some really dark moments. Overall, I highly recommend this movie if you're tired of the same "Hollywood blockbusters" that always seem to fall flat. If you want innovative film making and great horror touches reminiscent of 1980s cinema, this is a movie for you.

Interesting Sasquatch Horror Flick

[rudynaylor · 8/10 · 5 January 2016]

Horror has changed since I was a kid running to the movie theater every weekend and putting down $4.00 of my hard earned allowance and not in a particularly good way. It's hard to find a decent horror flick that doesn't have a god awful plot less story line with an abundance of over compensating gore. I liked Nightbeasts a lot! The plot was thick with some old comfortable favorites like the remote small town, complete with the small town sheriff and the not so bright deputy side kick who have the responsibility of solving the mystery of the strange, vicious killings. The twist was involving a tired divorced dad, his kid, and the ex-wife in the mix. I didn't expect there to be another story line involving the sad dissolution of a marriage and a kid eager to spend time with his dad. This side plot gave the movie a more realistic feel. It also lulls you before the full on Sasquatch battle begins. Gory and brutal, but well crafted which is how horror movies used to be and should be again. The creatures hunt in packs and aren't stupid which is challenging to the human crew. Questions answered with a satisfying conclusion but not before a whole lot of bloodshed.

A Super Good Scare

[jbp825 · 8/10 · 18 December 2014]

I was looking for something scary but not overly predictable and clichéd when I found out about this movie. I hadn't watched a good horror movie in a long time so I gave this a try. It was well worth the almost two hours of viewing time. The acting was good, the storyline was exciting, and the things that go bump in the night were extremely frightening. I enjoyed the plot twists and I jumped in my seat more than a few times. I can only assume that this movie was not made with a big budget but the end result was every bit as entertaining as a "bigger" film. I give it less than 10 stars because I wanted the ending to be a bit longer. I will definitely watch this again when I need a good scare!

This Movie Delivers the Goods

[marlinawright · 9/10 · 22 June 2015]

Are you bored with most awful Sasquatch movies out these days? Have you been lied to by Hollywood about "exciting" and "frightening" horror movies that fall flat after you have shelled out 12 bucks and given 2 hours of your life you'll never get back? Then, make a bowl of popcorn and pull up a chair to watch Nightbeasts. You surely won't be disappointed! I really loved this movie, from the quiet beginning that lulls you to the kind of gory ending of a human/Sasquatch war. I very much liked the positive light cast on the Native American characters and the mysticism of the storyline. Many recent movies don't hold my interest but this one did until the very end. I wish the ending could've been a bit longer but, otherwise, fantastic job!

The Bigfoot Film with So Much Heart and Soul!

[blukent · 10/10 · 19 June 2015]

This movie was extremely entertaining for a few good reasons: well crafted, tight screenplay with no obvious plot holes,; characters that were clearly defined, that you either rooted for or hated, non-stereotypical Native American characters who didn't stumble around outside a teepee, bourbon bottle in hand, looking for someone to light a big cigar; the blue lighting with the wisps of fog really set the stage for something frighteningly dramatic; the very real looking and very creepy Bigfoot creatures devouring anything in the woods and often sampling human cuisine; lastly, the divine older man actor, Zach Galligan. He is just a talented cutie who, luckily, is still making movies 30 years, post Gremlins. Not every 80s heartthrob icon can say the same. Bravo for great work!