Wendigo

A family on vacation in upstate New York deals with angry spirits.

Wendigo is brilliant in its first quarter. Building a great atmosphere with an almost palatable sense of dread, Wendigo has you primed for a great payoff. Unfortunately, the payoff never occurs.

Indeed, Wendigo goes horribly astray when it tries it’s hand at special effects. I realize the director wasn’t trying for realism with the creature, but what he gives us is actually laughable, which ruins the spirit of the movie.

Still, even with this critical flaw Wendigo does have a lot going for it. The acting is all top-notch, and the script—while not delivering a very satisfying third act—does have some great dialog.

Director Larry Fessenden has definitely matured as a filmmaker since his earlier work, Habit, and I’m looking forward to his future work.