American Cryptids

I had to bail out after fifteen minutes. Bad acting, bad script, looks like it was shot with a home video camera. The great thing about technology is it has allowed anyone with a phone to be a filmmaker. That's also a terrible thing.

I need 67 more characters to complete this review. Bad, bad, bad, awful.

This is not my preferred genre of film. And I arrived just as the film began so I lost out on my seat. I stood there, eyes glued to the screen start to finish. I couldn't leave for a moment to go get popcorn. For me to stand and be that interested speaks volumes to how good this film is. Nothing awkward, or out of place, no corny dialogue, no boring parts, no cliches. This is a first rate film with first rate actors. Go see it.

Despite of never even having heard anything about this 2025 movie titled "American Cryptids", as I stumbled upon it by random chance, of course I opted to give it a fair chance. I am a big fan of all things horror after all.

This movie, however, was a horror anthology. And that usually tends to be questionable affairs.

Writer Joseph Zettelmaier put together a script and storyline that didn't really entertain me. Sure, there were some nice things to the narrative, but in overall, it just felt like random stories told without much of any direction or having any point to why they were being told. So I wasn't particularly impressed or entertained. And truth be told, I ended up with my phone in hand, whilst the movie carried on playing as background noise.

Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with actor Daniel Roebuck. The acting performances in "American Cryptids" were okay.

The production value in "American Cryptids" was actually surprisingly good.

This is definitely not a movie I would recommend horror fans to spend 102 minutes on watching.

My rating of director Erynn Dalton's 2025 movie "American Cryptids" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

Love monsters and all things mythical? And who doesn't love a great fight, right? Then this is for you! When your family bloodline calls, you listen. Creature or not. The blood will squirt and limbs will fly! Comedy will ensue and gasps will fill the air. Which family will you side with in this monster vs hunter feud gets messy?

I was able to see American Cryptids at its premier at the Popcorn Frights film festival (it is currently in the fest circuit and not yet being distributed). This film is the definition of Indie Horror - practical effects that look great, fantastic acting, imaginative cinematography, top notch writing and direction. I especially liked the parallels to Romeo & Juliet without it being anywhere near a copy cat. This is a fun film that will appeal to true horror fans, especially those who like old fashioned monster movies with the added perk of a great plot and acting.