Frogman is only for fans (and apologists) of the “found footage” horror sub-genre, only because it takes a seasoned viewer to muster through the film’s baggage to be handsomely rewarded.

Young Dallas has never been the same since the summer of ’99 when, while pulled over in Loveland, OH, he caught a glimpse of an elusive, reptilian humanoid on his family’s camcorder. This sent the curious kid on a trajectory towards becoming a would-be filmmaker as he fends off deniers who doubt his footage. Agitated and grown up (and now played by Nathan Tymoshuk), Dallas returns to Loveland to double down on his findings. Along for the ride are his friends Scotty (Benny Barrett) and Amy (Chelsey Grant), the latter of whom has an intimate history with Dallas and, to the filmmaker’s surprise, has her sights set on leaving town to advance her on-screen talent experience.

Shot on various video formats (including Dallas’ trusty camcorder), Frogman’s visual aesthetics are innovative to the storytelling and break up the narrative’s pacing. However, the “found footage” formula is no different here and the audience has to dig through a lot of arbitrary exposition – about an hour’s worth. We find out more about Loveland, and the people of Loveland, and how iconic the Frogman is, and Dallas’ aimless life, and Amy’s southern schtick which she finds hilarious, and Dallas’ relationship with Amy, and how they currently feel for each other, and the Scotty chimes in with them individually. For a movie titled Frogman that spoils its audience early on with a creepy creature, the viewer desperately wants more. The characterization would’ve been appreciated more had the cameras captured a paltry amount; just enough to care about whether we want to see them live or die by the webbed flippers of a freaky frog. And while shooting video offers more leeway in terms of the “found footage” rules, Frogman still can’t shake criticisms towards the apparently “undrainable battery”.

However, and I know it’s become a cliché of the sub-genre, the awesome last act of Frogman delivers and then some. Director/co-writer Anthony Cousins (a collaborator on Shudder’s Scare Package anthology series) gives audiences typical clipped sightings of Frogman in the shadows but, also, Cousins isn’t afraid to present clear views of the creature. This confidence allows the filmmakers to play with Frogman’s mannerisms and attacks, as well as incorporate the rumoured lore the townspeople have been hinting towards. Frogman is a mix of 1999’s The Blair Witch Project and 2016’s in-your-face version Blair Witch, with a dash of Cloverfield to glue the characters together. The movie is derivative of its influences but, also, carves out some fun, new memories for patient horror hounds.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie