Movie Review // Squatch (2026)

https://www.squatchthemovie.com/

I have apparently reached a point now where I've watched enough movie trailers on YouTube that they have started to recommend me trailers they think I will like.  This was the first one that I saw and actually watched the trailer for, which had me going out of my way to also finding this film to watch.   While "Squatch" is available to rent or buy on a lot of the usual places, it is actually free to stream through Hoopla, which is the library app, and so I did just that.

This movie is weird if you ignore everything about it that isn't related to the Squatch monster.  You have this kid, Nick, who is just trying to get by, but he's 24 in college and working, living with his mother.  His dad- who he didn't know- dies and leaves him this cabin in the woods, which Nick then goes to with this woman Cassie, who just happens to love Bigfoot (same, Cassie, same)  The mother goes through this turmoil of knowing that Nick is off to the cabin like "What have I done" and it's a bit dramatic.

When the scene finally comes that the mother reveals her terrible secret it's only that she cheated on her father.  Up until this point, yes, it had seemed as if the dad just up and left, but now it feels more like the mother drove him away.  Still, I was waiting for there to be some kind of Squatch implication here, like maybe the dad turned into Squatch or maybe the mom had the affair with Squatch.   It didn't feel like that big of a reveal to me, but at the same time, I'm not watching this film for that dramatic aspect of it.

One of the early on things we learn is that the main family is in financial trouble.  When it is said that Nick will go to the cabin and potentially die by Squatch, I just can't help but think how that will save the mom money, especially since he also offered to stop going to college to help pay the bills.  I'm not sure how Cassie figures into all of this either (co-worker bumming rides, secretly likes Nick and is somehow just here in comedy for some ways as well) but I guess it's better than Nick being this typical jock guy and having a party at the cabin where dudes get picked off one by one.

Ever since "Birdemic" I can't help but think about why certain things are in movies.  At one point when the mom is staring at the past due notices, she has a conversation with Nick and when it's over she just goes back to staring at the papers like it'll make a difference.  I also don't know why we see both Nick and Cassie shower at different times other than to establish that they're clean.  We never see the mom shower, so she must be dirty.  And, yes, there is a bunch of driving in this as well.

Though in all fairness this is not as much of a b movie as "Birdemic" because certain aspects of it that could be more outlandish simply are not.  When Nick goes to the lawyer to be told he'll be getting money, the sum is "just south of half a million", which I thought was funny because why not make it a cool million?  But if this was "Birdemic" it'd be something like sixty five billion, which would be hilarious but not take away from the plot too much. (The number is hinted at but never actually said again)

"Squatch" is written and directed by Tom Chaney and I don't feel like it looks low budget until the end when both Squatch and the mom are both standing with fire in front of them but aren't actually on fire.   I felt like this was a good movie though because as soon as I had the idea that they needed to set Squatch on fire, so did the movie.  I also wanted to watch this movie because of the Squatch monster himself, because he has such a specific look to him.

First off, Squatch is portrayed by Jacob Southwick, who wrestling fans might know as Mad Man Fulton (shout out Pro Wrestling Revolver)  He did such a great job and even hinted at not being dead at the end, so I am hoping for a sequel.   This version of Squatch though has an almost human-like face, is hairy overall but has long dreads on his head.  In some ways I'd see him and think of Rob Zombie, but at the same time he also kind of looks like the Predator from the movie franchise of the same name.

This also got me to thinking.  I recently watched "Bigfoot Exorcist" and thought that the bigfoot in there looked rather alien-like.  Can we get a Bigfoot Alien vs Bigfoot Predator film one day?  Are Tom Chaney and Donald Farmer friends?  All of that aside though, I liked the overall execution of this film and most importantly perhaps was that they thought giving Squatch back his dead child would stop him but it just seemed to make him angrier and that was right on.   

If you are a fan of the genre of films which dives into characters such as Bigfoot then you will like this film.  It feels closer, in presentation, to a horror film than it does a b movie, where a b movie can sometimes feel more sci-fi and cheesy.   This was a fun ride and in addition to being available on streaming there is also a blu-ray release out there you might want to check out as well.  Should "Squatch" get a sequel, I will 100% be watching it!