I can never resist a Lou Reed reference in my titles (if you haven't heard his 2003 release The Raven, stop reading this and give it a listen now). After you do, definitely seek out the 2023 found footage cryptid horror film Frogman, which I found refreshing, quirky, and oddly fascinating.
Based on the legend of the Loveland Frogman, Frogman emphasizes quality acting and character development, which makes for an engrossing watch. Yes, there is a very real history to supposed sightings of this rural Ohio cryptid that date back to the mid '50s. And to add to this wonderful weirdness that took me down way too many fascinating cryptid rabbit holes, the city of Loveland recently made the frogman the official town mascot. When a filmmaker like Anthony Cousins (Scare Package) eschews the more standard Bigfoot/Slender Man/Sea Monster horror approach and chooses a Midwestern legend about a humanoid frog with purported telepathic powers and a penchant for theatricality (some say it carries a magic wand), I take notice.
And notice I did, with great approval. While using the standard "failing filmmaker sets off to document a cryptid" trope, this film has a deeper level: the question of how the online community treats people who claim to have seen something inexplicable and uncanny. The impact of viral bashing comes through quite strongly here, something that lends an ethical dimension not often seen in found footage films. For having captured footage of the legendary frogman as a child and posting it on the net, Dallas (Nathan Tymoshuk) lives the rest of his life the butt of jokes from countless vloggers who heap vicious accusations of fakery on him. Eventually he sets out, cheap Hi8 camera in hand, on a quest of redemption with two friends Amy and Scott as they head out on the road to Loveland to prove the creature's existence.
What endeared this film to me was the overall vibe of good-natured weirdness in the three main characters as they reveal their oddball personalities in genuine ways. I'm deliberately using the word weird a lot, and I mean it in the best possible sense. This is the kind of weird that covers everything off-beat, eclectic, alternative, and appealing. Something to celebrate when served up appropriately. The trio's documenting of the cottage industry that has sprung up in Loveland surrounding the legend is one of the fascinating and often hilarious parts of this film (including a visit to The Sticky Tongue, a store that sells more Frogman-related memorabilia than one thought possible). There's a compelling authenticity here not often found in this sub-genre.
As the trio wander the streets of Loveland, interviewing citizens and tourists, Cousins' pacing slowly transitions from amusingly goofy to a bit odd to deeply paranoid as some residents seem a bit too obsessed with the frogman. Rumors of a cult and a vast network of caves connected to the river surface. Investing time in allowing the character's personalities to become fully fleshed-out pays off when the horror arrives (and there's some fairly gruesome body horror by the end). Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that the finale goes full-on Lovecraftian (hinted at quite well early in the film) in very welcome ways.
Is this a perfect film: well, no. There's a particularly awkward moment when Dallas finally declares his love for Amy at the least likely time. But if that's my only quibble in a micro-budget film, it says a lot about the quality of effort here. Frogman is one of the most wonderfully weird film experiences I've had in a while. This is why I love digging around in the found footage genre bin. If you dig found footage, DIY filmmaking, and cryptids you'll have a ball with this one. Give it a watch!
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