Wendigo (2001)

58% of critics liked it
(50 reviews)
27% of users liked it
(3,392 ratings)

Larry Fessenden, director of the acclaimed independent horror films Habit and No Telling, crafts another unique tale of terror and suspense with this supernatural drama. George (Jake Weber) is a high-strung professional photographer who is starting to unravel from the stress of his work with a… More Larry Fessenden, director of the acclaimed independent horror films Habit and No Telling, crafts another unique tale of terror and suspense with this supernatural drama. George (Jake Weber) is a high-strung professional photographer who is starting to unravel from the stress of his work with a Manhattan advertising agency. Needing some time away from the city, Jake, his wife Kim (Patricia Clarkson), and their son Miles (Erik Per Sullivan) head to upstate New York to take in the winter sights, though the drive up is hardly relaxing for any of them. George accidentally hits and severely injures a deer that ran onto the icy road; after George stops to inspect the damage, he's confronted by an angry local named Otis (John Speredakos) who flies into a rage, telling George that he and his fellow hunters had been tracking the deer for some time. An argument breaks out, which leaves George feeling deeply shaken. When George and Kim arrive at their cabin, they discover that it's next door to Otis' property, and they soon find that a dark and intimidating presence seems to have taken over the cottage. Since, when they stopped at a store en route to the cabin, a shopkeeper told Miles about the legend of the Wendigo, a beast from Indian folklore who is half-man, half-deer, and can change itself at will, the child begins to wonder if the creature might have something to do with his family's sudden misfortune. Wendigo was enthusiastically received in its premiere screening at the 2001 Slamdance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Larry Fessenden
Written By: Larry Fessenden
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Horror

In Theaters: Mar 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Dec 17, 2002
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
... a post-modern pop scare show that doesn't quite work.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
This film is only scary if you're afraid of artfully self-conscious, grainy cinematography.
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
The woods haven't been this creepy since The Blair Witch Project.
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Fessenden ... sets a chilling tone of anticipation that keeps you inching forward, a scene at a time, until you're on the edge of your seat.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
A mostly intelligent, engrossing and psychologically resonant suspenser.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
The two leads are almost good enough to camouflage the dopey plot, but so much naturalistic small talk, delivered in almost muffled exchanges, eventually has a lulling effect.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
A hidden treasure among the masses of cookie cutter horror flicks...
Jurgen Fauth, About.com
This blend art house and horror won't satisfy either audience.
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
On the right track to something that's creepy and effective . . . It's just going to take more than a man in a Bullwinkle costume to get there.
John A. Nesbit, ToxicUniverse.com
[Fessenden] is much more into ambiguity and creating mood than he is for on screen thrills
Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal
When an ominous Indian who can be seen only by the child arrives and talks about an evil creature in the woods, things start to go down hill.
Hazel-Dawn Dumpert, L.A. Weekly
A finely tuned mood piece, a model of menacing atmosphere.
Tim Sanger, Film Threat
Wendigo wants to be a monster movie for the art-house crowd, but it falls into the trap of pretention almost every time.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It is nature against progress. In Fessenden's horror trilogy, this theme has proved important to him and is especially so in the finale.
John Venable, Supercala.com
The acting is just fine, but there's not enough substance here to sustain interest for the full 90 minutes, especially with the weak payoff.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
Until it goes off the rails in its final 10 or 15 minutes, Wendigo, Larry Fessenden's spooky new thriller, is a refreshingly smart and newfangled variation on several themes derived from far less sophisticated and knowing horror films.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

This film starts off quite well and has moments of real thrills but unfortunately loses its way in the second half. Shame really as Clarkson, Weber and a young Erik Per Sullivan do a great job as the terrorised family. This film could have been a classic thriller but Fessenden is a… More
This film starts off quite well and has moments of real thrills but unfortunately loses its way in the second half. Shame really as Clarkson, Weber and a young Erik Per Sullivan do a great job as the terrorised family. This film could have been a classic thriller but Fessenden is a far better director than he is an editor and ultimately lets the side down. I wouldn't be surprised if the producers had a hand in its downfall too!
Drew S

Okay, let's say you're a deeply pretentious filmmaker with a shoestring budget and you want to do a movie about a family and a deer monster. You still following me? Good. Now, what's the best way to produce your "German expressionist horror film" while aptly… More
Okay, let's say you're a deeply pretentious filmmaker with a shoestring budget and you want to do a movie about a family and a deer monster. You still following me? Good. Now, what's the best way to produce your "German expressionist horror film" while aptly disguising your lack of funding and lack of talent at the same time? a) Learn more about human interaction and how to write natural-sounding dialogue and characters b) Learn more about the process of capturing an aesthetically appealing image on camera c) use freak-ass editing and shitty looking jump shots and reiterate over and over through repetitive scenes that THIS FAMILY HAS PROBLEMS BUT IT'S OKAY THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. Three guesses as to which option Larry Fessenden picked. By the way, Fessenden is clearly the biggest tool ever. If this movie's chronic head-up-its-ass syndrome wasn't a definite indicator, look at his picture on IMDB. It sends douche chills running up my spine. I guess it's not fair to totally lambast this movie, because there were one and a half things I liked about it. The first is Patricia Clarkson, who I'll watch in basically anything; why she is pissing her career away in movies like this and The Woods totally eludes me. I'm really glad she's in Shutter Island, the new Scorsese film which I'm fucking excited for. GO PATTY GO The other half thing that I kind of liked was that Wendigo does try to explore some interesting themes before it falls in love with its own idiotic mythos. Ideas like moral objectivity and sentience are touched upon ever so slightly; sadly, Fessendouche refuses to expound on them, instead opting to show us jittery stop-motion shots of some cunt in a deer suit running around in the woods. But what's wrong with Wendigo? Besides what I've already mentioned - Jake Weber is impressively bad. If you're getting out-acted by a seven year old, then it's time to find a new job. Said seven year old is actually a pretty good actor, but guys, DON'T put him in any more horror films. His scared expression was by far the most unintentionally hilarious moment in a movie that is full of them. Eh, I forgive him, he wasn't too heinous for the most part.
Luke B

Since I watched this film directly after the atrocious 'Scarred' this film seemed Oscar worthy. The acting talent is there with both Clarkson and Weber creating an emotional and believable couple. The film keeps a slow and steady pace but then derails as finally father and… More
Since I watched this film directly after the atrocious 'Scarred' this film seemed Oscar worthy. The acting talent is there with both Clarkson and Weber creating an emotional and believable couple. The film keeps a slow and steady pace but then derails as finally father and son begn to bond in a way reminiscent of the dinner scene in 'Jaws' just in time for an accident that never sees this relationship come to fruition. Finally the mythological aspects come into play with a guy running round in a deer suit which looks so campy not one shot lasts longer than a second. What could have been a nice psychological family drama/horror just sort of flaps about like a dying fish.
Steve B

Interesting, but ultimately a let-down.
Adam M

Interesting story about a family thats spending a few days in a cabin but realise some blokes family lived there and he's being a bit of a dick about it. When the familys young son gets given this little wooden doll thing called a Wendigo by a mysrterious man weird shit starts to… More
Interesting story about a family thats spending a few days in a cabin but realise some blokes family lived there and he's being a bit of a dick about it. When the familys young son gets given this little wooden doll thing called a Wendigo by a mysrterious man weird shit starts to go down. Accept it doesn't! Not for ages anyway. This takes far to long to get going, only becoming interesting in the last 15 mins so just as your getting into it, it ends. Thers a couple of good bits, like when you see the Wendigo creature but overall, this is just boring and could have been so much better.
Tobias X

An extremely creative director's personal vision compromised by a B-film producer. Larry Fessenden is clearly an original artist with his own distinctive style and voice but he's never given the time or production he needs to make the brief truly creepy mood last. I believe… More
An extremely creative director's personal vision compromised by a B-film producer. Larry Fessenden is clearly an original artist with his own distinctive style and voice but he's never given the time or production he needs to make the brief truly creepy mood last. I believe white knuckled atmosphere to be everything when it comes to the craft of all great horror films, and some of the fast-paced editing butchers many, but not all, of the scenes with the most potential to freak out. Larry Fessenden's campfire quality ghost story is shamelessly thrilling and thought provoking at times. I think it's a real shame that the finished product of WENDIGO is mostly a mediocre horror.
Barry L

One of the oddest films ive seen for a while.....I was slightly drunk but still.......