Creature features, especially ones about mythic cryptids, are a favorite subgenre for many horror fans. Writing and directing duo Gene Gallerano and William Pisciotta have made their feature film debut with a new creature film, The Yeti. After an oil tycoon and his team disappear in the Alaskan wilderness, his son forms a new team to search for them. Led by the daughter of a famed explorer, who is a cartographer herself, the group discovers something dangerous hidden deep in the woods.

Gallerano and Pisciotta took a wild risk with their low-budget monster movie by having it not only take place primarily in the snow, but also by having the film take place in 1947. The Yeti introduces the members of the search and rescue team one by one, ending with Ellie. Ellie is a cartographer and the daughter of a very famous man, but she doesn’t do much exploring herself due to having a leg brace after suffering a severe illness as a child. The person putting the group together is the son of the oil tycoon and finally eventually convinces Ellie to join by revealing her father is also one of the missing crew. Once the search team gets closer to the last known location of the missing people, they begin to realize something large and deadly is stalking them through the forest. The basic premise is quite interesting. It presents the titular yeti in a more scientific way, even calling it Gigantopithecus, an extinct genus of ape that grew to a massive size. It’s a different take on this well-known cryptid that hasn’t been explored much in film. Unfortunately, the writing is also where many of the film’s issues arise. Most notably, with the exception of Ellie, the characters generally seem very one-dimensional. There’s even a demolition expert whose entire personality is drinking alcohol and blowing things up. After a compelling cold opening, the plot takes a long time to get to the meat of the story. When it finally does, the various developments and reveals become quite convoluted. It results in a rather average viewing experience with a lackluster finale.

A highlight of The Yeti is the performances. Brittany Allen (What Keeps You Alive, The Pitt) stars as Ellie. Ellie is an interesting character, wanting to follow in her famous father’s footsteps while also constantly being forced to live in his shadow due to her leg brace. Allen always gives her all in every performance, and her portrayal of Ellie is no different. She adds depth and complexity to the character, making it easy to be drawn into her story. Jim Cummings (The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Halloween Kills) plays Booker, the team’s communications expert. Despite the writing not giving much for Cummings to work with, he still makes the most of it. Booker is Ellie’s only real ally on the search team and Cummings makes the character effortlessly charming. Genre film fans will also be delighted to see William Sadler (The Mist, Disturbing Behavior) as Ellie’s father, Hollis. While it’s great to see him on the screen, sadly Sadler’s talents are a bit wasted in The Yeti. He’s only in the film for a few minutes and the writing didn’t give him a real opportunity to show his skills as an actor.

Many of the visuals in The Yeti add to the appeal of the film. Because of the snowy setting, the filmmakers opted to film in a soundstage. While it’s quite obvious the outdoor sets are all filmed indoors, it adds to the vintage look, almost like a classic Universal monster movie. To help transport the audience to 1947, the film introduces the search team through a series of old-timey news reports, from television and radio, cut together. The costume design also helps bring this time period to life. While the outfits do often add to the different character stereotypes, and some clothes don’t seem appropriate for the Alaskan wilderness, the wardrobe certainly fits the characters well. The various practical effects look surprisingly great considering the low budget. While a number of the kills happen off-screen, there are still a few big practical gore moments as well as a number of smaller wounds. Then there is the yeti itself. This thing is massive, hairy, and has deadly claws and jaws. It looks great, but it also doesn’t seem like the performer can move very well in the costume. Audiences will also get a practically created surprise at the climax of the film that most won’t expect.

The Yeti is an ambitious feature film debut for this filmmaking duo with a great creature, but the writing ultimately leads to a rather forgettable film. Both Gallerano and Pisciotta show promise as directors. Unfortunately, the script could have gone through some further revisions. As it is, the story moves at a meandering pace, lacking excitement as it introduces characters that fall into various stereotypes from that era. Allen is the best part of the film, giving a strong performance despite the material she has to work with. With rather well done visual elements and a decent amount of gore, there is enough to the film that will appeal to many viewers. You can check out The Yeti at AMC theaters on April 8th before it hits digital on April 10th.

OVERALL RATING: 5/10