The Goatman showcases interesting concepts and ideas, but doesn’t delve deep enough to explore them. It can be harsh to begin a review this way, especially for a film that is well made, however, this is the last impression you will get from the film. Spooky visuals along with a dreadfully fitting tone accompany a worthwhile watch, but will still leave some feeling missed opportunities.
In the first twenty-five minutes of The Goatman, the viewer is introduced to different characters. Completing the first act involves figuring out who all the characters are and what their roles are in relation to each other. The story follows a family coming back to their parents’ land a dysfunctional family for sure. The parents have gone missing for a decade and the government seems to have just found out.
The first scene shows Leo (Joshua Christopher) and Laura (Madeleine Masson) camping at their family land. Odd sounds stir them from their camper, and they are soon faced with a horde of faceless individuals. So far things are good. Shawn (Garrett Poladian) accompanies his drunk brother Bo (Levi Butner) together with his Fiance B (Corrine Mica) towards the family land.
Riley (Marissa Pattullo) and her girlfriend Ellie (Hope Butner) are already in the area. Ellie gets hurt while Riley is doing some climbing with her. The group is asking questions at the campsite from the opening, hoping to find Leo and Laura.
The situation turns out to be a now winning and losing situation. Laura comes back to the site. There’s something peculiar about her. She keeps rambling about someone else being present and that Leo is gone. B and Shawn go to the family house and we meet more faceless people. The Goatman is having fun with B’s mirror reflections. Starting with B seeing herself with no respect of her face or expression. It’s always a good deception. As they run back to the campsite, Laura goes nuts and hurts Riley.
Leo comes back to tell the group that Laura is not quite herself. That “they” replicate people. While they are in the camper, they witness the silhouette of a demon smashing against the door. Reflections show who is really them and who isn’t. This is where The Goatman should start to lift off. It has its highlights. The faceless people make for an effectively creepy sight. The idea of being unable to trust the person you are speaking to, who is a long time acquaintance, is a classic horror trope. It works well here too. Unfortunately, the potential fun that could be had with the setup does not last for long. They spend more time filling the sandbox than playing in it.
The Goatman uses a game cast and provides some inspired horror imagery. More than enough reason to be worth your time. Spending more time trying to deal with the confusion and underlying horror of the situation would have helped the story as a whole. Instead, this is a grim story from beginning to end. It does not explain things to the degree some might wish for, but the questions are great to help set the mood of the piece. It does leave you with a feeling you will not be able to shake off easily.
Lurking in the proceedings is some familial drama. Everyone has a reason to argue with someone else. The script thankfully does not allow it to overshadow the film. While people almost always seem to be at each other’s throats, it never gets to the point of being aggravating. The disputes are reasonable enough that the characters’ connections are plausible. It’s pretty clear that a rift has developed in this family and that deeply rooted issues are affecting newer relations.
Ultimately, The Goatman does enough right to mask a few of its more puzzling decisions. The filmmakers make the most of what they have and put together a few scenes that are sure to be remembered. Sometimes the moments are scary, sometimes they are sad sometimes, they are a mixture of both. A bit more concentration on the enjoyable aspect during the film’s middle section would have been welcome. However, The Goatman, unlike many other films, was not intended to be enjoyed. Rather, it had a goal to convey the sadness and horror of the situation.
The Goatman appears new yet recognizable at once. The film uses its wonderful cast well and serves a creepy, character-driven tale. It takes too long to get going and it also does not take as much time as it could enjoying what it has built. Regardless, there is an intriguing story tucked away with some of the imagery and certain moments being truly unforgettable.
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