- Directed by Seth Breedlove
- Stars Aaron Deese, Shannon Legro
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Canr0UJrjSg
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
This is a well-made documentary blending animations, history, unfortunately scant evidence, and interviews with people telling about sightings they have had. They are convinced they saw something. We’re left to ponder on it. The filmmakers did a nice job of neutrality, not pressing it too hard either way.
Non-Spoilery Synopsis
We begin with an old-timey ad for travel to Texas, but it warns us to watch out for coyotes and other predators in the wild. Credits roll, telling us that Dogman may try to lure you into the woods with the voice of someone you know; they are only known to prey on humans and should be avoided at all costs.
We open on Aaron Deese, who wrote a book on Dogman, as he introduces Shannon, the interviewer of the films. Aaron’s the expert; Shannon is a journalist. Aaron explains that he started out investigating three encounters that laid out a big triangle that covers a big chunk of Texas.
We then cut to various “Cryptid hunters” who talk about their origins, mostly talking about getting started with Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. This leads right into werewolves, or the local variety called the Dogman. They describe the various types of Dogman; some are manlike, and some are more like big dogs.
Then various people describe their encounters with the strange beast. We see actual newspaper clippings about “monsters” eating sheep and things; how much is true and how much is sensational reporting? Could it be a hyena? A Coyote? A bear with mange? A shapeshifter?
Commentary
The film alternates between fairly normal interview shots and scary drawings of the Dogman. Naturally, we don’t see a real Dogman at any point, but there are re-enactments and cool animations. There are shots of regular nature scenes that have been “aged” to make them look creepier and set the mood, which is also fun.
It’s maybe a little longer than it needs to be but overall, it’s a well-made discussion of sightings, legends, and theories about his probably-mythical creature.