Conformable their own website, Tubi’s this week’s most popular movie is a feature created called Cryptid. After that, on the list is the reality show The The bad girls clubso you know their algorithm is accurate (who doesn’t like watching women fight?).
Taken from the cinematic outline of Jaw, Cryptid uses a similar approach to Spielberg’s early mantra: “The horror is in what you not see.” For this movie, that’s a good thing, because a lot of what makes it good is the build-up thanks to decent actors and above-par cinematography.
The film follows a freelance journalist named Max Frome (Nicholas Baroudi) who, while on the job in small-town Maine, stumbles upon a string of gruesome deaths that may be connected. It looks like a bear attack, but we know it’s not. He doesn’t get any help from the local authorities either and guess what? “Now the mayor is involved.” Derived a lot?
He quietly coaxes his journalist friend Harriet (Ellen Adair) into helping him investigate the story, one because he got an advance on her, and two, it sets up the “will they kiss or not” subplot.
The rural location allows the title cryptid just enough food to sustain itself without alarming the locals. Instead, he asks Max in passing, “Have you seen my dog?” or “It’s awful what happened to Helen” at the local general store.
A plot development midway through the film is a surprise, but still derivative. And when the creature appears, it’s impressive, but basically FX-wise, sedentary.
Cryptid is at his best when building his plot. Thanks to some decent actors and the anticipation of a creature reveal, it’s enough to get you through halfway through. But once there and the monster has screen time, all suspension of disbelief is lost. The creature effects team did a great job. The monster shows That’s greatbut the director and editors didn’t do it justice by not hiding its technical limitations.
Overall Cryptid it’s a nice TV-MA movie, but instead of bite, it just nibbles. If you want real action, drama and bloodshed, go to the next most popular thing on Tubes: The bad girls club.
