'The Wildman of Shaggy Creek' Review- A Nostalgic, Family Friendly Coming-of-Age Creature Feature

Official Poster for The Wildman of Shaggy Creek

"This was a moment where the opportunity aligned with the dream: to make movies that matter, that connect us with who we are and who we are meant to be. Movies with redemption, healthy family dynamics, and friends who are willing to make sacrifices to learn how to love each other in the face of the unknown."

- Jesse Edwards (director)

The Wildman of Shaggy Creek boasts some stunning cinematography

The Wildman of Shaggy Creek is a throwback family creature-feature in the vein of ’80s kids' adventure/monster movies- think vibes of E.T., The Goonies and Stand By Me. Based on Book 1 of the FRIGHTLAND series by R.H. Grimly, that nostalgic feel is helped along by some beautiful cinematography that echoes beloved coming-of-age fantasy cinema and a sense of small-town mystery.

Jesse Edwards brings the story to the big screen in his second full-length feature following 2022's The Stolen Valley. From its opening moments, The Wildman does an excellent job of building tension and a creeping sense of unease. There’s always this quiet feeling that something is lurking in the woods, watching from afar. Aiding that is the choice to use distant camera angles when characters are talking or exploring, subtly suggesting another presence in the background. Edwards uses this atmosphere to its full advantage- really keeping the viewer on edge and constantly questioning what's real and what might just be the kind of red-herring that frequent these films-through imagination or prank.

Allee Sutton Hethcoat and Josh Futcher play Scott's parents in The Wildman of Shaggy Creek

The story centers on a young boy named Scott (or Scotty as his mother lovingly calls him- played by Hudson Hensley), whose family have recently moved. He's struggling with the fear and isolation that comes with moving away to a new neighborhood, and of no help is a local legend about a Bigfoot lurking in the woods by the house. It’s a coming-of-age tale at heart, with the titular Wildman acting as a metaphor for everything Scott is afraid to face- both internally and externally.

The supporting cast of kids bring some great energy to the film. It's refreshing that the group of bike-riding neighbour kids aren’t your typical movie bullies. Instead, they’re kind of goofy, with a friendly teasing dynamic that feels more grounded. There is one- Zach (Brycen Patterson)- who walks on that line of cliche, but even he feels a little more fleshed out than a lot of his filmic bully counterparts. The kids aren’t overly polished or stereotypical either- one wears glasses, another has messy hair- giving them a more believable vibe.

David Dupre, Ella Kaminski and Pierson Mashburn play the neighbourhood kids in The Wildman of Shaggy Creek

Performance-wise, the kids (which also includes David Dupre as Brent, Ella Kaminski as Emily and Pierson Mashburn as Cole) are strong across the board, with some genuinely funny line delivery that add a lot charm. The standout of the film is Hailey, played by Ayla Bullington- who won Best Young Actress at the Los Angeles Film Awards. She initially comes off as a classic "smart girl" in the Hermione Granger mold, but quickly proves however that she's got much more depth than that- with her quick-wit making her the most enjoyable character of the affair to watch.

Allee Sutton Hethcoat and Josh Futcher play Scott's parents. In many genre films like this, parents are either aggressively skeptical or cartoonishly uninvolved. Here, they’re sympathetic, rational, and genuinely trying to help. They don’t dismiss their son’s fear outright- they approach it with logic, patience, and care. That portrayal is refreshing, although, dad (Charlie) might come off a little too chill at times- especially when they discover that their son has sneaked out into the woods to confront the "Wildman", and his response is basically, “Well he has to do this on his own." His more free-spirtied attitude though does offer a nice counterpart to mum (Charlotte), who seems to be the only character with any sustained worry.

Spoilers from this point on

Ayla Bullington and Hudson Hensley venture into the woods in The Wildman of Shaggy Creek

Speaking of being chill, there's also a little subplot of Scott ghosting his old friends, too scared to tell them he moved away and similarly, when he eventually reaches out, their reaction is weirdly laid-back. “Oh hey, cool. What you been up to?” So there's a lack of urgency or emotional weight in moments that feel like they should hit harder.

When the Wildman does finally appear, it’s fairly brief- but certainly serves it's purpose in a meaningful way. The costume work looks to be practical, which evokes real nostalgia. It gives it that classic Universal Monsters vibe, a nice nod to old-school creature features. Just don't go in expecting a monster movie.

The Wildman of Shaggy Creek is a gentle, heartfelt and very well-made film with a lot of charm and care. In cinemas August 1st.

About the filmmaker

Director Jesse Edwards

Jesse is a three-time Emmy award-winning Director, Producer, Writer and Cinematographer.

Jesse began work in film as an editor and worked through about every crew position until directing commercial campaigns for brands such as Disney, National Geographic, and BMW. In 2017 he began producing and directing episodic television, including National Geographic's Origins (2017), The Story of God (2019), and two seasons of the ESPN+ series: Draft Academy (2018, 2019). In 2020 Jesse started production on his debut feature film, The Stolen Valley, where he served as the writer, producer, director and cinematographer.

Jesse's work has been seen by millions and has won many awards including an RFK Journalism Award, an Edward Murrow Award, 3 National Emmy Awards and over 30+ National Emmy Nominations.

https://www.jessededwards.com/

Watch the trailer for The Wildman of Shaggy Creek:

The Wildman of Shaggy Creek has been the recipient of multiple awards:

Los Angeles Film Awards 2025

Best Picture

Best Narrative Feature

Best Director - Jesse Edwards

Best Young Actor - Hudson Hensley

Best Young Actress - Ayla Bullington

Best Score - José Skertchly

New York Film Awards 2025

Best Picture

Best Narrative Feature

Best Fantasy Film

Best Director - Jesse Edwards

Best Supporting Actress - Allee-Sutton Hethcoat

Best Young Actor - Brycen Patterson

Best Child Actor - Hudson Hensley

Best Child Actress - Ayla Bullington 

Best Editing - Joe Bastien

Zions Indie Film Festival 2025

Best Feature Film - 2nd Place

Cineverse International Film Festival 2025

Best Feature Film

Best Director - Jesse Edwards

Best Actor - Hudson Hensley

Best Actress - Ayla Bullington

The IndieFEST Film Awards 2025

Best Family Film

Best Director - Jesse Edwards

Best Editing - Joe Bastien

Best Cinematography - Jesse Edwards

Kanab Film Festival 2025

Best Feature Film

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