Sawtooth Mountain: Get Ready to Embrace The Insanity

When working under the constraints of an indie budget, it is best to keep things simple, as some of the best storytelling has often come from these conditions. There is nothing wrong with simple, but when going for simple, any work must execute. When it comes to Sawtooth Mountain, for better or worse, it certainly does the most with what it has. That is not to say that it is without flaws, there are many of those, but they are part of the experience. However, not all audiences will want to be part of it. That being said, diehard indie horror fans may find some enjoyment here. The main point of contention is whether or not they can look past its flaws, be it bad writing and direction. In spite of this, what is a short film, clocking in at under 85-minutes, boasts a decent premise. The problem with that premise is how it quickly devolves after it puts all of its cards on the table. At this point, it should not come as a surprise, that the film is best enjoyed without thinking too much. In that respect, the film delivers a decent time, just not an overly memorable one.

Sawtooth Mountain is centered around Bobby (Landon Liboiron) and Clint (Gabriel Carter), two paranormal-obsessed brothers looking to help their struggling Bigfoot-themed rental cabin. To boost business, the pair came up with a plan to manufacture a sighting in order to generate more attention to their business and gain more customers. Meanwhile, a trio of college students renting their cabin for a weekend getaway found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Kiera (Scotia), Dillon (Wilson), and Liv (Scarrwener) just wanted to spend some time together away from their hectic lives, but they merely became collateral damage. Simply the latest guests for Bobby and Clint’s guided tour, seeing the so-called Bigfoot set off a frenzy amongst the friends. However, Kiera, the skeptic, was not as convinced as her believer friends. Stumbling on to the brothers’ ruse, she made herself, and her friends, targets. While desperate times call for desperate measures, Bobby and Clint were not killers by any means. Though they cared for one another, the strong-willed and impulsive Bobby led the way as the brains of the operation, followed by Clint, the submissive muscle. Figuring out what to do as they went along, their desperation to save their business and avoid being exposed had them laser focused on Kiera, Dillon, and Liv.

Not the most likeable characters on either side of the coin, the juxtaposition between the brothers and the college students made for a decent dynamic. However, it is clear to see where the story ultimately goes fairly early on. But once Bobby and Clint are under threat, the level of silliness absolutely skyrockets. Now it would be wrong to expect the characters to make sound decisions, because it wouldn’t make this much of a film otherwise, but how it completely devolves in insane. Though it may not leave much of a body count in its wake, the film works better as a thriller than a horror, albeit without really executing at either. Similarly, the characters and the story are not developed beyond their roles in the premise, but they essentially don’t matter. The main selling point of Sawtooth Mountain is the insanity that awaits audiences upon hitting play, and how everything works as a means to service the premise. In the end, that is all it has to offer. The only question is whether or not that is enough.

Working in lockstep, the performances, the writing, and direction are not very good, but that just comes with the territory. Not taking itself too seriously, the silliness is hard to ignore, but just enough to get by. While the cast all commit to the insanity, perhaps the one that commits the most is Carter, as Clint. Going on a journey over the course of the film, both he and his character, Carter definitely goes for it, maybe too much. He and Liboiron, as Bobby, are the only ones who see any real development. Bobby and Clint’s motivations are at least clear, their only issue was the way they went about it. On the other hand, Kiera, Dillon, and Liv are paper thin and all over the place. Though this may make them perfect fodder, it also makes them dull.

Above all else, Sawtooth Mountain is exactly what you would expect, for better or worse, a silly indie horror geared for a limited audience.

still courtesy of TriCoast Entertainment

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.