Incident at Loch Ness (2004)

62% of critics liked it
(47 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(3,716 ratings)

A handful of filmmakers looking for the fabled sea serpent of Loch Ness get a look at another sort of monster in this witty mock documentary. Under commission from producer and screenwriter Zak Penn, notoriously eccentric German filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to Scotland to shoot his latest film, a… More A handful of filmmakers looking for the fabled sea serpent of Loch Ness get a look at another sort of monster in this witty mock documentary. Under commission from producer and screenwriter Zak Penn, notoriously eccentric German filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to Scotland to shoot his latest film, a documentary called "The Enigma of Loch Ness" which examines the myth of the Loch Ness monster and its role in the collective unconsciousness of the Scottish people rather than attempting to capture and photograph the creature itself. As Herzog is shooting his film, another filmmaker, John Bailey, tags along to shoot a film about Herzog shooting a film using the provisional title "Herzog in Wonderland." While Herzog and Bailey ruffle one another's feathers, Herzog begins to suspect Penn hired his crew more for their ability to generate "real life drama" on camera rather than their skills, especially Kitana Baker, a supposed "sonar engineer" who happens to have been a model for Playboy. As the production falls into chaos, neither Herzog or Bailey are able to complete their projects, and a pair of editors are brought in to combine footage shot by both crews into a coherent whole. Incident at Loch Ness received its North American premier at the 2004 Seattle Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Zak Penn
Genres: Documentary, Drama, Comedy, Special Interest

In Theaters: Sep 17, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Mar 1, 2005
Studio: Eden Rock Media

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
[Penn's] oafish 'character' only manages a few guffaws and a handful of chuckles, and his movie is the same.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
We realize with increasing dismay that Loch Ness is a movie about the bald, weaselly Penn and not about Herzog at all.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
This is mandatory viewing for Herzog fans. It's an inside joke, but for those who get it, it's loose, funny and, in its own way, Herzogian.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Watching the movie is an entertaining exercise in forensic viewing, and the insidious thing is, even if it is a con, who is the conner and who is the connee?
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
While Herzog demonstrates here that he's a perfectly good sport, one can't help think that his time would be far better spent making more films rather than parodying himself in such inconsequential efforts as this.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
The moviemaking in-jokes are often terrifically funny.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
An inevitable cinematic showdown, now that war against the media and Hollywood has pretty much been declared by documentaries.
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
Mildly comical for those familiar with (and fond of) adventurous German auteur Werner Herzog.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Reaches only monumental levels of dumbness and lame comical moments.
Bill Gibron, PopMatters
...Herzog and Penn don't challenge [the Loch Ness] myth. They are out to create their own. And they almost pull it off.
Douglas Pratt, Movie City News
Since it takes one viewing to find out where the movie is going and what it is up to, multiple viewings are almost a necessity, and the film gets funnier with each pass.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
A generally empty, if fitfully amusing, experience.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Herzog se revela um convincente astro do gênero "ação/terror" neste filme que, além das muitas risadas, ainda oferece uma reveladora visão dos bastidores de Hollywood.
Brian Juergens, Freeze Dried Movies
We fall prey to a series of sleights-of-hand that keep us wondering what the joke is -- and more importantly, who's in on it.
D.K. Holm, Movie Poop Shoot
Finally! A DVD that actually uses Easter Eggs that make sense!
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
A truly original work, and a very cheeky one at that filled with end-to-end laughter. It plays off Herzog's own legend as a behind-the-camera wild card.
Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com
While not quite on par with some other movies and mockumentaries about showbiz, Incident at Loch Ness is right up there with its head above water.
Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine
A cheeky, insouciant little movie.
Jules Brenner, Filmcritic.com
too much of a one-note concept to make the entertainment value lift much above lake level
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
Pathetic self-parody.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

A surprisingly intelligent and well crafted satire of mockumentaries and documentaries. The inclusion of Herzog as himself is simply genius. Here is a man well educated and practiced in the world of films and documentaries, lampooning himself and his past to great effect. The line of… More
A surprisingly intelligent and well crafted satire of mockumentaries and documentaries. The inclusion of Herzog as himself is simply genius. Here is a man well educated and practiced in the world of films and documentaries, lampooning himself and his past to great effect. The line of "Differentiating between fact and truth" is a great one, filled with humor and genuine intrigue. The inclusion of Ricky Jay at the start also hints towards illusions and trickery. I found both the horror and comedy elements to work very well. The playboy sonar operator and the fake R/C monster were just two of the highlights. It was well thought out and feels real enough to pull you in. A rather wonderful surprise of a film for those willing to be taken on a ride.
Anthony L

Before you watch this film, you should be familiar with the documentaries of Werner Herzog, otherwise, a lot of the humour will be totally wasted on you. I thought it was really, really good, thoroughly enjoyable and very funny! On paper its really shouldn't have worked, a… More
Before you watch this film, you should be familiar with the documentaries of Werner Herzog, otherwise, a lot of the humour will be totally wasted on you. I thought it was really, really good, thoroughly enjoyable and very funny! On paper its really shouldn't have worked, a mockumentary of a documentary, brilliant!
Christopher M

If there's one thing I didn't think I would see Werner Herzog involved in, I guess it might very well be a mocumentary or fake documentary. I actually watched this film under the impression it was directed by Werner, but discovered at the credits it was directed by Zak Penn… More
If there's one thing I didn't think I would see Werner Herzog involved in, I guess it might very well be a mocumentary or fake documentary. I actually watched this film under the impression it was directed by Werner, but discovered at the credits it was directed by Zak Penn (who also starred as the producer in the fake doc that is the subject of the film) and co-produced by Werner (who also starred in the film as himself). If you can't already tell it's a rather hard film to explain, which I guess, when I think about it, makes it more sensible that Werner would be involved. Basically it's about Werner Herzog setting off on with producer Zak Penn and other professionals to Scotland to film a documentary about the Loch Ness myths, when they begin to encounter problems and eventually something much more extraordinary. The best description I've read about this film so far is that "it's the film the Blair Witch Project wanted to be", and that's pretty accurate. The reason this film works and is so entertaining is because it looks and feels like a real documentary, and thus it's that much more involving. I think if someone were to watch this not knowing it was a set-up, they may definitely think it was a real documentary to a point. It's because of that level of professionalism (no doubt inspired and caused by Herzog's involvement as actor and producer) that this film is able to do what other films like it have tried to do successfully, and in highly entertaining fashion.
Ivan D

Interesting, and very original "MOCKUMENTARY" about the lochness monster. What makes this more interesting is Werner Herzog is on it!!
Christopher B

Wernor Herzog, coward. Zak Penn, hero. That's all you need to know. A great look at one man's courage.

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Incident at Loch Ness (2004)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

Anthony L

Christopher M

Ivan D

Christopher B

Cast

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