“The Yeti” follows members of a rescue team who encounter an ancient creature while searching for two missing people during the harsh winter of remote northern Alaska.
The early stages of “The Yeti” are less focused on monster and more on people. After a short-lived, bloody introduction, it leaves the scares behind — heading in a dialogue-heavy direction.
The characters themselves will likely make or break the film for many. They’re a stereotypical bunch, and “The Yeti” doesn’t shy away from this. Because of this, the onscreen individuals are largely… annoying. The conversations within the movie often feel out of place, with characters spitting out one-liners without end. In the process, they become caricatures.
This normally wouldn’t be a problem for a campy creature feature. However, it’s unclear if “The Yeti” actually knows this about its characters. Rather than going all in on the cheesiness, it aims for emotional connection. It will likely be challenging for viewers to become fully invested in their individual storylines, because… we all know what people came to see.
Despite the film’s initial shortcomings, it doesn’t completely forget its identity. While the yeti isn’t fully shown at first, its presence is felt. “The Yeti” showcases corners of the creature’s body alongside the growls and sounds that come from it. There’s a menacing presence that comes from this, even without the title animal being the complete priority early on. After roughly 30 minutes of introductions, there’s a clear shift in focus. Once the yeti takes center stage, the movie becomes a lot more fun.
Director of photography Joel Froome elevates a lot of the material within. “The Yeti” not only takes place in the dark, but also in snowy and foggy environments. The visuals could have easily fallen flat because of this. Instead, they enhance the experience at every turn. Even with minimal light, Froome manages to capture both the characters and the creature in easily visible ways. On top of this, the yeti is framed in creative fashion; whether it’s close-ups of blood-soaked fur or a shadowy figure in the background.
The special effects team deserves a lot of credit here as well. Practical work shines in “The Yeti,” and, largely, the carnage is quite effective. The creature itself is impressive (when shown), increasing the stakes when it’s needed most. Since “The Yeti” goes for a more serious tone, it needed to nail the look of the yeti — and it does.
After it all, though, the film remains tonally inconsistent. At first, it tries to be funny. Then sappy. Then scary. This cycle repeats throughout, with none of the tones fully resonating in the end. “The Yeti” would have benefited from going full-scary or full-camp, but it chooses neither. The end result is a movie that doesn’t feel horrific enough to deliver genuine scares or goofy enough to generate many laughs.
The pacing also suffers because of this. In between the yeti action, it’s almost a waiting game for what comes next. With large gaps between the carnage, long stretches of the 91-minute runtime grow boring and uninteresting. As it nears its conclusion, “The Yeti” also gets bogged down by unneeded lore. Rather than heightening the creature’s impact, the later developments actually diminish it.
Still, the passion of directors William Pisciotta and Gene Gallerano shines through in moments. This is especially evident when the creature is unleashed in its entirety.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve wondered why there was never a definitive movie about my favorite mythological creature, the Yeti,” Pisciotta said. “So Gene and I decided to take matters into our own hands and create the Yeti film we’ve always wanted to see.”
It’s a true ensemble effort from the cast, with solid performances from Brittany Allen (Ellie), Eric Nelson (Merriell Sunday Jr.), William Sadler (Hollis Bannister), Corbin Bernsen (Merriell Sunday Sr.) and more. Allen is at the heart of the movie, with her character given a more emotional arc than the others. She is able to bring both intellectual and heartfelt dialogue that supplements the action. Bernsen is a late entry, but arguably the most memorable. Despite many of the characters being underwritten, the actors all bring their A-game.
“The Yeti” doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself in the “creature feature” subgenre, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. When limbs are torn, it’s entertaining. Everything in between, not so much.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
