A genuinely great found footage horror film is rare, but one that expertly mixes comedy and horror is practically a (killer) unicorn. Enter: Radio Silence-produced Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project, a campy, ridiculously entertaining faux documentary about the production of a found footage Bigfoot flick. There are a few movies in the subgenre that already tackle the mythical legend, from The Legend of Boggy Creek, to Willow Creek, to Exists, and everything in between. Patterson Project takes a decidedly different approach, playing like Christopher Guest meets The Blair Witch Project, with a dash of Cabin in the Woods to make things feel gleefully unhinged. A brilliant fusion of mockumentary, horror, and absurdist comedy, follow fake-Alan Rickman to a deliciously entertaining endgame.
Ambitious but underqualified filmmaker Chase (Brennan Keel Cool) sets out to make his debut feature film. In a hilarious bit of name-dropping, Chase boasts that some of his shorts played at random film festivals, including the “Exploding Girl Film Festival.” Was this a fun nod to Radio Silence and their penchant for exploding people (see: Abigail, Ready or Not), or a bit of foreshadowing? Director Max Tzannes even shows us a few of these ridiculous shorts, including one with an alien, and another with a man buried up to his neck in sand. What begins as a quirky, ultra-low-budget indie shoot in a busted cabin turns into absolute chaos involving Alan Rickman, possession, Danielle Radcliffe, and a freaky-real Bigfoot. Patterson Project unfolds as a mix of behind-the-scenes documentary and actual footage from the alleged cursed production.
A comedy of errors ensues in the days leading up to the seven-day shooting schedule. Just to secure funds from an angel investor, a consulting producer lies to a cute old woman who thinks they have hired deceased actor Alan Rickman to participate in the production. A casting director offers up the major talent of Daniel Radcliffe, a fellow Harry Potter alum, to participate. They audition folks to play the vital role of Bigfoot as they grunt and overact their way through. By the time the actual shooting begins, there’s a whole lot of baggage to deal with. Scripting duties from Tzannes and David San Miguel take time in setting up the laughs for maximum effect.
The disasters that plague the production catch the eye of Chase’s girlfriend and first assistant director, Natalie (Erika Vetter). She points out their rotten catered food, a shooting mishap with Bigfoot, the potential demonic possession of their angel investor Betsy (Suzanne Ford), and the prophecy of a “grand jubilee” that she discovers in an ancient text that’s very Evil Dead. The signs all seem to point to an otherworldly presence that has invaded their little movie. As a natural part of the setup, a woman tasked with cataloguing the progress of independent productions captures most of the insanity on film. If there were any doubters, by the time Betsy goes feral for the man she thinks is Alan Rickman, Patterson Project neatly slides into its horror groove.
The first half mocks the dysfunction of microbudget film production, including flaky casting directors, delusional producers, and crumbling sets. The transition into Lovecraftian chaos and demonic possession happens with a surprising confidence from such a young filmmaker. Though my interest was only piqued initially due to the involvement of Radio Silence, there is plenty to love and laugh at held within this Bigfoot oddity. The best found footage horror about making a found footage horror, The Making of the Patterson Project is equal parts smart, stupid, terrifying, and laugh-out-loud funny.
Unearth Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project when it unspools into theaters on June 20th, followed by a digital release on June 24th.
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