The Untold (film)


The Untold is a 2002 adventure horror film independently produced in Canada written and directed by Jonas Quastel. The film is known under several different titles depending on the date and location of its release, with it being known as Sasquatch for English versions such as the Canadian DVD release and airings on the SyFy Channel along with being known as Sasquatch: la créature de la forêt in France. It was first released in France in May 2002. It was released on March 11, 2003 in Canada and the United States.

Plot

Tara Knowles and a small crew are flying over the Canadian wilderness when their plane malfunctions. They survive the crash but encounter a monster that seemingly kills them all. Weeks pass and with official rescue missions called off, Tara’s father, Harlan Knowles, puts together his own crew: his computer engineer Plazz, insurance rep. Marla Lawson, famous survivalist Winston Burg, forensic investigator Nikki Adams, and local mountain man Clayton Tyne. After arriving in the suspected crash zone, they hear loud roars in the forest. On their first night, Marla is attacked in her tent by what Clayton determines was a grizzly bear. The next day, they come across the grizzly and discover it was already mortally wounded, it’s neck broken with a nearby boulder.
As the sun sets, it starts raining heavily. The group takes refuge in a cave, where Plazz finds cave art. When Nikki tests the “paint”, she discovers that it’s blood of some kind and only a few months old. Harlan finds a shell near the cave’s entrance that Tara wore as a necklace and the next day they search the area but don’t find anything else, moving on. After another full day of searching with no results, they set up camp near a natural hot spring. Marla talks with Harlan at the spring away from the others, revealing she knows about the project Tara had been working on and that without the prototype Tara had with her, his company is practically bankrupt. She blackmails him into keeping it quiet from B&B in return for 30 million in Bio-Comp stock. Around the fire, Clayton confronts Burg about the claims he’s made in his survivalist books, having noticed his many flaws as they have been tracking the plane’s last known movements and Burg threatens him.
The following day, the group locates the crash site but finds it empty, save for a piece of the fuselage. Clayton finds evidence of something large being dragged through the forest. They follow the tracks and eventually uncover the wreckage of the plane, hidden under some thick foliage. The only evidence of the crew is a severed arm, still holding on to a pistol. Burg finds “Huxley” nearby, the prototype machine Tara had with her. The machine is able to instantly analyze the genetic history and makeup of any organic material on Earth. Plazz powers on Huxley and finds it was used on some blood shortly after the crash. The machine determined the blood analyzed was from something previously undiscovered and scientific proof of a Sasquatch. That night, Burg gets excessively drunk and he starts randomly shooting into the forest after he hears a noise, narrowly missing others sitting around the fire. He apparently hits a creature in the woods though, which lets out a huge roar although doesn't attack. Harlan fires Burg and makes Clayton their head guide which infuriates Burg. He attacks Clayton but is heavily inebriated and gives up; the others leaving him alone at the campfire. Burg cries out as the Sasquatch grabs him. Harlan reviews tapes found in the fuselage and it is revealed the blood was taken from the outside of the plane, meaning a Sasquatch was likely killed upon the plane's crash landing, angering its mate/relatives and causing it to kill Tara's crew in revenge. Clayton investigates Burg's cry and searches the nearby forest, finding a massive "burrow" in the underbrush with Burg's body stuffed inside and several other decomposing bodies, including Tara's.
As they bury the bodies in shallow graves, the Sasquatch watches them. Marla steals Huxley but a Sasquatch attacks and kills her. The others find her brutalized body and Harlan takes Huxley as they all try to make their escape. Clayton and the others realize the creatures intelligence and try to convince Harlan to leave the machine behind, saying the Sasquatch knows it proves its existence, something it does not want. Harlan splits from the others, unwilling to leave Huxley and the creature starts tracking him. The Sasquatch attacks him, knocking him unconscious. When he comes to, he's laying next to the grave of the Sasquatch's mate, killed by the plane. He and the Sasquatch have a final confrontation and Harlan shoots Huxley and the Sasquatch leaves. The film ends with a title card explaining Clayton, Nikki, and Harlan all denied Plazz’s claims of a Sasquatch encounter upon returning to society, who was deemed psychologically unwell.

Cast

The film was released in theaters and on DVD on March 11, 2003. Lionsgate later released the film on DVD on June 4, 2014.

Reception

Critical reception for the film has been mostly negative. Patrick Naugle from DVD Verdict gave the film a negative review calling the film "a paper-thin idea stretched into a feature length film".
Scott Weinberg from eFilmCritic.com awarded the film 1 star out of 4 criticizing the film's lack of logic and the absence of the title monster through most of the film.
Digital Retribution.com panned the film stating, "Granted, some of the stuff looks cool, but because so much fails, the film just comes off as DESPERATELY trying to be stylized". The site also criticized the director's lack of point and originality.
Nearly a decade after the film was released on DVD, it was critiqued in a review by MTV.com in a segment called "Eric's Bad Movies", implying the opinion of the review. Most of the review is an analysis of the film's plot and the actors' performances are criticized in a tongue-in-cheek manner that argues the film is both uninspired and "tediously generic".