Documentary Review: American Werewolves

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

American Werewolves
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Small Town Monsters; 1091 Pictures
81 minutes, 2022
www.smalltownmonsters.com

It is always a good day when I get the chance to see a documentary from the king of the cryptids, Seth Breedlove. While one may watch his series of films, you never doubt the sincerity of the filmmaker (i.e., cash grab), but he appears to be dedicated to the topic. I respect that.

This is not the first werewolf he as covered, though the last one was more centralized in the Bayou with Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou (2021). This is a hard film to find by title searching because an Internet exploration result is inundated with An American Werewolf in London (1981), which should come as no surprise to genre fans…or anyone else. In this case, he looks at the lycanthropy phenomenon on a more general basis, across Middle America, such as Ohio and Kentucky (especially Land Between the Lakes National Park).

Another difference, and one I am looking forward to, is that Breedlove’s approach is different this time. Usually, he uses a heavy mix of writers, scientists, fringe keepers, and eyewitnesses. Here, he relies on more on eyewitness testimony. He still presents some “paranormal investigators” to help the viewer situate themselves into the lycanthropic mentality and history, including the locations, but my issue is that “experts” are always second-hand accounts, whereas these witnesses are first-hand, making what they say more chilling. How much they believe in this is another story, but it is conveyed in non-professional talk, and more from the gut.

There are some interesting euphemisms given to the creatures right off the bat, such as “upright canids” and “Dogman” (should that be “Dogperson”?).

It is no surprise that most of the sightings have been in extremely rural areas, as is true with most cryptid encounters (with the possible exception of Mothman, also discussed in a previous Breedlove documentary, if you are interested). In cornfields. the woods, which would be a more natural habitat for a wolf of any kind, it makes sense. The main description is a six-to-eight-foot hairy dog headed creature that walks on two legs, a la The Howling (1981) or Dog Soldiers (2002).

Another difference between this and other Breedlove films is that there is no host nor narrator, and the interviewees do all the talking; though there are placards to let us know the location and the name of the person. Also dissimilar from earlier releases is that there is a discussion and description of possible cryptid killings, though they leave it open for interpretation, because it is not possible to prove in a court of law.

The two longest stories are held until the third act, and they are pretty intense. There is some waxing poetic along with the tales of the encounters, be it with a single creature or multiple ones. For me, it got even more of whaaaa? when Bigfoot is introduced in a cameo for Land Between the Lakes (Sasquatch in the north, Dogmen in the south, and overlap in the middle). Definitely more cryptid bang for the buck.

It is interesting how Breedlove lets his interviewees tell their experiences mostly uncut, other than some edits, to get the full effect of what they claim to have seen and how they felt. Most first-person interviews are all over the place and occasionally laughable, but these tell a story, which is intriguing and kept my attention.

Mixed between the stories is some b-roll clips of a man in a Dogman costume, for effect, that actually works. There is less animation than usual, and shots of the woods, sunsets, and the costume beastie with the amber glowing eyes, is perfect to accompany the stories.

Not fer nuthin’, but I find it interesting that both areas covered are Red States. One of the interviewees mentions that everyone who goes into the LBtL National Park should carry a gun, and I wonder about the connection with the location.

The film is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW.

IMBD Listing HERE