Today, Hulu‘s new docuseries Sasquatch had its world premiere at SXSW Online 2021. The three-part series, from director Joshua Rofé and producers the Duplass Brothers, follows an investigative journalist trying to uncover the truth about a decades-old crime. The series is set to hit Hulu on April 20th.
Back in 1993, investigative journalist David Holthouse heard of a grim triple homicide on a pot farm in which three Mexican nationals were torn limb from limb, sparking fears of a man-killing Sasquatch. Much of this area within Mendocino County, California, is covered with dense forest, which many pot farms call home. Over the years, word of the Bigfoot-related slayings spread between pot farmers and workers, and now Holthouse seeks answers.
The series explores Bigfoot lore and science, mostly in the beginning, and then moves on to the gritty world of pot farming and the epic failure that was the war on drugs. I did not expect it to dive so deep into the latter two topics, but it was eye-opening and thought-provoking.
Throughout the second episode and much of the third, I was unsure how the story would return to Bigfoot to tie it all together. Once it did, the myth and reality blended satisfactorily, making me appreciate the nonlinear road the director chose to take us on.
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Rofé highlights the area’s beauty well while we learn more about Mendocino County’s fascinating and often seedy history. The shots move effortlessly from gorgeous Redwoods to less inviting areas, at times making me feel like I was trespassing.
We learn about David Holthouse and what he has been through in life. He has an emotional attachment not only to this specific case but to the countless missing persons cases and unsolved homicides in Mendocino County. The statistics are quite shocking for such a beautiful area surrounded by nature. His emotions are raw as he conducts interviews and loses sleep over piecing together new information. Although we do not even know who the murder victims are, as they were never found or identified, his investment in the story is quite contagious.
The mention of Bigfoot initially caught my interest; however, the story that follows is captivating. Sasquatch is an addicting watch for true crime fans, history buffs, and anyone interested in exploring stories of cryptids.
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