FROGMAN (2023)

Now streaming on Screambox from Feral Child Films!
Directed by Anthony Cousins.
Written by Anthony Cousins, John Karsko.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Jc31f4C2gUs

After capturing the elusive cryptid known as the Frogman on video as a child, documentary filmmaker Dallas (Nathan Tymoshuk), his cameraman Scotty (Benny Barrett), and actress Melissa (Sonya Boushek) return to the swampy riverbeds of Loveland, Ohio in order to prove that the Frogman is real.

Are the actors successfully acting like they aren’t acting?
For the most part, everyone is doing a good job of being natural and unscripted. The weakest of the bunch unfortunately being the star Nathan Tymoshuk who struggles with the scenes when heavy emotional lifting is required. His character Dallas is supposed to be overcome with an obsession to get to the truth, but he is also reeling from a recent breakup and a budding relationship with Melissa. That’s just too much this actor can carry and while it does round out the character, it overloads Dallas and makes him just feel like he’s all over the place. Had Dallas simply been driven to find the Frogman, and the relationship with Melissa been cut, I think the character would have been much more focused and likable.

Does the footage found seem authentic and untouched by additional production (which means there is no omniscient editor making multiple edits between cameras or an invisible orchestra providing music)?
There are some musical cheats which took me out of the immediacy of the film and some questionable editing between camera’s that was distracting. This is supposed to be an edited documentary, so since the footage was put together as an entertaining documentary in the world of the film, I’ll forgive FROGMAN for this transgression that would be a dealbreaker for most as I’m a stickler for authenticity in my found footage and musical cues and edits from multiple cameras take away from that concept.

Why don’t they just drop the camera and get the hell out of there?
Dallas is driven to find the Frogman, so that is the driving force to keep filming. Later, the camera is used as a light source in a tunnel, so the film does a good job of justifying why the camera keeps rolling.

Is there an up-nose BLAIR WITCH confessional or a REC-drag away from the camera?
There are a few drag aways and late in the game camera confessionals that felt old hat by now as the scenes have been spoofed, aped, and copied to death. I could have done without those.

Does anything actually happen? Is the lead in too long and the payoff too short?
After the fun opening where Dallas sees the Frogman as a kid, there is an awful lot of getting to know you time, before anything substantial happens. Sure, they try to pad the story out with Dallas’ relationship angst, but again, I felt this was distracting and unnecessary. There is a nice conspiracy vibe going on throughout that has a nice build from small to gargantuan by the end. And the final moments are quite strong, though the most shocking scene is torn straight from a far superior found footage film, The Taking of Deborah Logan. The ending, which leapfrogs from found footage to cinematically filmed footage is abrupt but offers up some nice perspective on the film.

Does the film add anything to the subgenre and is it worth watching?
While many tout FROGMAN as the best found footage film of the year, I feel it simply goes through the motions decently, which in the case of found footage films, is much better than average. Many of the best scenes have been done better in other films. It does offer up a unique monster and lore around it. I hear a sequel is in the works, so I hope it takes the series in new directions.

FROGMAN is a decent little film that does offer up a frantic ending with some solid scares. The ending kind of soured me on the film, as it doesn’t paint the lead in a good light. And since we are supposed to be rooting for him to survive against this monster, it made me wish the monster got him instead.