• Release year: 2026
• Director: Burke Doeren.
• Producers: Lauren Call, Burke Doeren, and Kellie Doeren.
• Screenplay by: Katrina Mathewson and Tanner Bean.
• Cinematography by: Brian Mitchell and Ian Start.
• Music by: Dan Reckard.

Shotgun Commentary: the safety video all national parks should be playing to their guests.

Review

Grizzly Night is a horror film based on a real event that took place in Montana in the 60s. Unlike most “based on a real story” movies, this feature actually engages with the real story in a relevant, visible way instead of exploiting its most gory bits while making up everything else. For that alone, it is already worth the watch.

The narrative follows a few groups of people stationed in different parts of the park. The main storyline is a day in the life of Joan (Lauren Call). She is a park ranger with a little less than four months of experience in the field. With complete disregard for her lack of experience, she is sent to guide a visit in a part of the park she’s barely been to before. As luck would have it, during the night when she is meant to keep watch of the tour group, a bear attacks. From then on, chaos, blood, and stress ensue.

Great choices all around

Now, the movie opens with one of its most powerful moments, and while that is usually a terrible move, as it takes away from the moment itself when it is shown again in its context, in this case it makes for the perfect opening. The intensity of the moment is only slightly diminished by this editing choice, and in exchange you get a striking first scene that immediately wakes you up and demands your focus.

Thanks to an outstanding editing job, the spectator will feel how the movie not only commands their attention but also respects their time. The best thing a feature can do is trust and respect their audience. The no-nonsense policy of Grizzly Night’s storytelling does just that. It will introduce a story, present in great detail all the relevant moments, and wrap up the tale as neatly as possible, finishing the story when the grizzly attacks have been dealt with and adding a short, written summary of the impact of said story in history. That is, it will deliver the story you came to see. No more, no less.

Forget Paddington

As for the bear attacks, they hit hard. If you’ve grown up with Yogi Bear and the likes, you are in for a surprise. Yours truly grew up with the notion that if you are not afraid and you make yourself look big, a bear will leave you alone. Now, as a person who has only seen bears three times in her life, it is fair to say I’m no expert, but this film has certainly made me think of them in a brand-new way.

The first attack in particular is something you will remember for a long time. Not so much because of the bear itself but because of the aftermath. Brec Bassinger in her role of Julie and Oded Fehr in his role of Dr Lindberg have a hand in this. Not to mention the gruesomely realistic work by the makeup department, which absolutely nails every single wound with precision and a restraint that only adds to the realism of the story.

Mirror moment

It often happens in horror that the real villain ends up being a human flaw. Witches have been scorned by prejudice; vengeful spirits and psychopaths are created through incredibly traumatic events; monsters do not become deadly until something makes them… Thus, it is not a great surprise to find out that the villain of this story is, yet again, human misconduct.

Knowing what the film is about, it is not hard to see all the elements that will lead to tragedy. From the complete disregard for the danger by the rangers in charge of the park to the use of trash to attract bears into becoming tourist attractions. Still, as it often happens in nature-based man-made disasters, it is nature that ends up paying for it. Or, in this case, the bears. This grim conclusion adds a layer of social critique that is worth pausing upon. One that reminds us of our place in nature and the irrelevance of our current situation in the great scale of things.

All in all, Grizzly Night is great in every way. The story is riveting and stressful, and the acting is flawless, as are the technical aspects of the film. This is a wonderful film that anyone with some stomach will enjoy. Terrifying in its truth and precise in its execution.

Grizzly Night will be available on Digital and DVD from Monday 2nd February. Available to pre-order now on DVD and Digital.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Don’t feed wild animals.
• If you go to an animal’s habitat and it attacks you, it is kinda your fault. And by “kinda”, I mean “totally”.
• Once in a blue moon, a Karen can actually be right.

What’s your take? Have you watched Grizzly Night? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀