Frogman Has the Makings of a New Cult Classic

I love cryptids. When I was a kid, I read books about things like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster all the time, and even now, I’m still a big fan of TV shows like Monsterquest and Destination Truth. So naturally, when I first got wind of Frogman, I was instantly intrigued. Not only did this found-footage film appeal to my inner cryptid-loving child, but I also heard it was based on a real-life legend. That was the icing on the cake for me, so I just had to check this movie out. I was sure it would be right up my alley, and after finally getting the chance to watch it, I’m happy to report that it’s even better than I expected.

Frogman was directed and co-written by Anthony Cousins, and it stars Nathan Tymoshuk, Chelsey Grant, Benny Barrett, and Justen Jones. When the story begins, a 12-year-old boy named Dallas Kyle captures footage of a cryptid known as the Frogman, but as we soon learn, no one believes it is real. However, Dallas is still convinced, and 20 years later, he’s determined to prove that this creature really exists.

He enlists the help of his longtime friends Amy and Scotty to make a documentary about the Frogman, and together, they travel to Loveland, OH, the alleged home of this creature. They start by interviewing some of the locals about it, and then they venture out into the woods to find the thing. At first, their quest seems pretty hopeless, but soon enough, they learn that this legend is deadlier than they could’ve imagined.

I have to be honest, I didn’t love Frogman right from the get-go. Like a lot of horror movies, this one spends about half its runtime letting us get to know the characters, and it’s a bit of a slow start. However, once Dallas gets Scotty and Amy to agree to make the trek out to Loveland with him, the film starts to gain some traction.

A man being turned into a frog — Image courtesy of Rotting Press

The three actors who play these characters (Nathan Tymoshuk, Chelsey Grant, and Benny Barrett) have such good chemistry together that I really believe they were old friends, and their antics are pretty fun to watch. In particular, they have a bit of a comedy duo dynamic. Dallas takes his quest much more seriously than his friends do, so he’s like the “straight man,” and Scotty and Amy are like a dual “funny man.” It’s pretty charming, so I had a good time just watching them goof off, have fun together, and bust one another’s chops.

Then, once we get into the real meat of the story, Frogman instantly changes its tone. Instead of breezy, light-hearted humor, we get a thick atmosphere of suspense as our main trio sets up camp in the middle of the woods. They choose to go there at night, and apart from a few meager lights they’ve brought with them, they can’t see a thing.

They’re completely at the mercy of Mother Nature, and director Anthony Cousins does a great job of making us feel like we’re right there with them. We almost think something could jump out at us from the pitch-black night at any moment, and every time one of the characters takes another step into the darkness, the uncertainty of what may be lying a few feet ahead of them weighs just as heavily on us as it does on them.

It’s a great prelude to the horrors to come, and when Dallas and his crew finally learn the truth about the Frogman, the movie gets even better. The third act makes really effective use of editing and sound to squeeze as much terror as possible out of the characters’ encounters with this evil, and the narrative takes some very unexpected but also very welcome twists and turns.

Frogman toys — Image courtesy of Rotting Press

I’m obviously not going to spoil anything, but I will say that Frogman isn’t just your stereotypical creature feature. Sure, it has a classic monster movie element to it, but it also ventures into folk horror territory. In particular, there’s a Lovecraftian bent here that you probably won’t see coming, but when you think back to earlier moments in the story, it’ll make perfect sense. The film does a great job of hiding its secrets in plain sight, so it’s the perfect blend of clever foreshadowing and unforeseen twists.

And for my money, that unexpected Lovecraftian element turns Frogman into a modern cult classic. Sure, the film boasts fun characters and effective scares, but plenty of films can make that same claim. What sets this one apart is the mythology surrounding its legendary creature. We don’t get a ton of it, and the things we do see raise more questions than they answer, but what this mythology lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. The whole concept is just ridiculous and crazy in the most compelling way possible, so this movie is ripe for a cult following.

In case you couldn’t tell, I had a great time with Frogman, and I think you will too. Sure, it gets off to a bit of a slow start, but once it picks up the pace, it’s smooth sailing until the credits begin to roll. This is simply one of the best found-footage films I’ve seen in a while, so do yourself a favor and check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

Frogman was released on VHS on February 9, and it’s set to hit digital and VOD on March 8.