The Yeti – Movie Review (2/5)

THE YETI is a monster movie featuring a very sinister take on Bigfoot. Made as an old-school monster horror movie. I absolutely loved the charm and vibe of this movie, carried by intriguing characters and delicious practical effects. However, it is insanely slow, so I was torn and ultimately disappointed. Read our full The Yeti movie review here!

THE YETI is coming to AMC Theaters and will be out on Digital shortly thereafter. It’s made as a classic monster movie, so it plays out almost a century ago, with all the complications this entails. No modern technology or help of any kind. As this is essentially about a group of explorers coming across Bigfoot, they are in big trouble.

I would have given this movie a 2½ if we did half stars here at Heaven of Horror. The actors and practical effects were the positives, while the small storyline and achingly slow pace were its ultimate downfall for me. Way too many lingering shots and scenes with not much content… but it did look gorgeous!

Continue reading our The Yeti movie review below. Find it in AMC theaters on April 4 & 8, and out on Digital from April 10, 2026.

Chasing Bigfoot… but not on purpose

While The Yeti, as revealed by the title, is about the creature also known as Bigfoot, it’s not the focus of our main characters. Instead, they are heading out into the wilderness to search for people who have disappeared. Specifically, Merriell Sunday Sr. (Corbin Bernsen) and Hollis Bannister (William Sadler) have vanished in Alaska, while on an expedition of some sort.

As a result, Ellie (Britanny Allen) and Merriell Jr. (Eric Nelsen) leave their lives behind and mount a search for their fathers. What they never anticipated was that an ancient threat would soon be their biggest challenge. A creature is stalking the expedition and will hunt every person in the group, as the Yeti is apparently very territorial.

So, while this expedition may not have been about chasing Bigfoot, this is definitely how it ends up. Or rather, they try to escape the mythical creature, as Bigfoot is very keen on privacy and solitude.

Why doesn’t this work better?

For a long time, you will only see the Yeti in the background or sense it in the shadows. Later, you will see an arm or its huge frame, through the fog. Ultimately, however, you will get to see Bigfoot up close, and the practical effects department has created something amazing for The Yeti.

On paper, The Yeti has so much going for it with a great cast and gorgeous visuals. If only the focus had been on creating a great story and solid pace as well, then this would have been a brilliant monster movie. I think it lost me definitively before it was halfway, as this was when I realized it was only halfway, and things were going slower by the minute.

Again, the practical effects, old-school style, and wonderful casting result in something that you will enjoy watching. It just isn’t enough when the story is lacking. Still, you can look forward to seeing Jim Cummings (Redux Redux), Heather Lind, Christina Bennett Lind, Elizabeth Cappuccino (Super Dark Times), and even one of the filmmakers, Gene Gallerano (as “Dynamite Dan”), in The Yeti.

Watch The Yeti in theaters now or on VOD soon

The writer and directors of The Yeti are Gene Gallerano & William Pisciotta. Previously, Gene Gallerano has made a name for himself as a documentary producer. He won a Best Documentary Emmy for The First Wave (2021) and the Audience Award at Woodstock Film Festival for American Symphony (2023). Meanwhile, William Pisciotta produced the gorgeous dramedy Thunder Road (2018).

I loved the practical effects and the casting of The Yeti, but in terms of filmmaking (directing and screenwriting), I was not a happy genre fan.

For me, the movie got off to a brilliant start with its old-school charm and character style. And while I recognize that part of this “old-school” style also involves a much slower pace, this was the part that did not work for me. It could have been a short film, when it comes to the story. So, while it did look amazing, I wish the same attention had been put on the pace and plot.

THE YETI is out in AMC Theaters April 4 & 8 and then on Digital from April 10, 2026.

Details

DIRECTORS: Gene Gallerano, William Pisciotta
WRITERS: Gene Gallerano, William Pisciotta
CAST: Brittany Allen, Eric Nelsen, Jim Cummings, Christina Bennett Lind, Linc Hand, with William Sadler and Corbin Bernsen