Exists

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JORDI B Some Monsters Got Mercy: Exists and the Tragic Howl of Found Footage There’s movies that make it through in spite of bein’ hated. Or maybe they’re born to be hated, like that ugly runt of the litter no one wants, but still grows up mean and sharp and smarter than the rest. Exists (2014), directed by Eduardo Sánchez, is one of those films. Everything about it says you oughta skip it: it’s another found-footage flick, got Bigfoot in it like a hundred others, and looks like it's hitchin’ a ride on the coattails of The Blair Witch Project. But beneath that dusty cover, this movie’s got a heartbeat. You gotta wait for it, but when it comes, it hits like thunder rollin’ low through the pines. Right off the bat, Exists sets you in some thick woods out in Texas—not the pretty kind, the mean kind. It ain’t polished or spooky in that Hollywood way. What you get is bark, and dirt, and dark. The camera shakes, sure, like any found footage does, but there’s a rhythm to it, like it’s fightin’ the chaos instead of fallin’ to it. It’s almost like the camera’s not just filming what’s there, but tryin’ to survive it. Trippin’, breathin’ heavy, bleedin’ through the lens. And the music? Hell, it barely shows up. You don’t get those big horror movie stingers or any damn choir screamin’ in Latin. Just the sound of dry leaves, wind, a twig snappin’ somewhere behind you. What little music it’s got, it uses smart—real smart. There’s a kind of quiet in this movie that don’t just fill space. It says somethin’. That hush before a bad thing happens. That silence when someone’s cryin’ and don’t wanna be heard. But lemme tell you where this thing shines—it’s in how the whole damn place is set up. That cabin, those woods, the way shadows fall just right, like the trees themselves got secrets they don’t wanna tell. The production design don’t scream for attention, but it don’t miss a beat either. Everything fits. Ain’t no prop or backdrop outta place. It’s like the woods are a character all their own, watchin’, waitin’, judgin’. Then there’s the creature—yeah, Bigfoot. Most movies make him out like some wild hillbilly monster. A joke. Not this one. Here, Bigfoot’s got grief in his bones. He ain’t just tearin’ folks up for fun. He’s mournin’. That’s the twist no one sees comin’. Turns out, these city kids run over his young one on a back road, laughin’ and raisin’ hell, and what we got ain’t a hunt—it’s a damn funeral march. But Exists don’t preach. Don’t hand out morals like Halloween candy. It just lays it bare and lets you see what you see. When the main guy—he’s been filmin’ all this like it’s his golden ticket—ends up face to face with Bigfoot, bleedin’ and cryin’, sayin’ he’s sorry... there’s a hush. He says, “It was an accident.” And Bigfoot, he just stares. Breathin’ hard. And walks away. Ain’t that somethin’? That’s the moment. That’s where the movie stops bein’ horror and starts bein’ tragedy. That look Bigfoot gives ain’t rage. It’s pain. And maybe a little grace. Like he’s tired of killin’. Like he sees the boy’s just a scared human who done wrong and knows it. See, Exists don’t care about bein’ great. But it’s got soul. It’s a story that hides behind beer cans and swearin’ and flashlights, but if you squint just right, you see the outline of a fable. A tale where even monsters get tired of vengeance. A story where silence speaks louder than blood. This ain’t the kinda film that wins awards or gets college lectures written about it. It’s rough around the edges, sure. But it's got a truth to it. And that truth don’t shout. It waits. It waits for the last boy standin’ to stop screamin’ and start apologizin’. Exists won’t change cinema. But it might change how you look at the shadows next time you're walkin’ through the woods. 'Cause sometimes, buried under the screams and the static, there’s a quiet voice sayin’: "I hurt too." And sometimes, even monsters know how to listen. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/26/25 Full Review Evelyn G It's a very entertaining film, maybe it doesn't always get the found footage right, but it's still very fun and had me on tenterhooks. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/20/25 Full Review Audience Member It’s not often that every single character in a movie is terrible … almost unheard of actually. This guy couldn’t figure out how to make better movies after 15 years? 0/10 Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/25 Full Review Kalin D Not a great movie but far from being terrible. They should not have tried to make it a "found footage". Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/18/24 Full Review Andrew B There's nothing to recommend here. The characters are all terrible people. The least annoying character is still annoying as f*ck. There are no scares, no suspense, no real story. The saddest part is that this dumb movie was directed by the same man responsible for The Blair Witch Project, one of the best found footage horror movies in the history of film. Meh. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/07/24 Full Review Randall D Oh my God this movie is terrible! Almost everything about it is cheesy. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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