SUMMONING THE SPIRIT (2023)

Streaming on Tubi from DarkStar Pictures!
Directed by Jon Garcia.
Written by Zach Carter, Jon Garcia.
Check out the trailer here!!

Dean and Carla (Ernesto Reyes and Krystal Millie Valdes) are expecting their first child and set to buy a new home in the middle of the woods. Upon arriving at the home, Carla has a miscarriage, leaving the couple feeling hopelessly lost. Fortunately, there is a spiritualist cult living on the other side of the forest who welcomes them with open arms and a promise for spiritual cleansing. They worship a giant who walks the woods, otherwise known as Sasquatch, and while their intentions at first seem to be genuine, their true motive is not so nice.

There have only been a few Bigfoot films that highlight the cryptid’s role in the spiritual world. While Native Americans often view the creature as a noble protector of nature, most of the films depict Bigfoot as a rampaging monster territorial in nature and willing to tear the arms off of anyone who trespasses into his forest. SUMMONING THE SPIRIT gives an interesting take on Sasquatch as it seems to be working along with the cult for reasons kept quiet until the very end of the film. Films like FEED THE GODS told this kind of tale, but SUMMONING leans more towards highlighting the spiritualism aspect. So expect a lot of scenes with chanting, dancing, people speaking very slowly, and using positive words that will make cynical hearts like my own cringe. I can’t say I enjoyed the attention to the more loopty-loo aspects of spiritualism, but I guess, you could say it was represented well here as is the story of how this might seem interesting to a couple who has experienced such a loss.

The Bigfoot looks good, but unfortunately, director Jon Garcia chooses focus the camera directly on the costume, which highlights some of the more glaring flaws in most Bigfoot suits. There is bunching up in some areas. The chest piece is very carved and non-moving. The face looks terrifying enough, but it is unable to move much or emote save for the eyes, giving it a constant grimace. It’s also way too clean. They should have rolled the costume around in the dirt a little to make it feel more worn in and weathered. For the most part, Bigfoot doesn’t really do much but saunter around the forest, which makes him not the most captivating of subjects. But there are some key moments where the suit works amazingly and as the monster moves with an animal quickness, leading to some extremely startling deaths.

I’m going to give SUMMONING THE SPIRIT Two big Feets and three big toes.

I feel too much of SUMMONING THE SPIRIT is spent in the spiritual side of the cult. The central conflict between the couple wasn’t really compelling. While the Bigfoot does factor in prominently with their plans, there’s not enough of it. Aside from a massacre at the end, there are only two kills and while shocking, they go by all too quickly leaving most of the movie forcing one to endure blandness of the constant affirmation and chanting from the cult. Props for trying something new and the decent suit though.