Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the “Dawn of Man” sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey is almost 30 minutes long. No, this review will not argue that David and Nathan Zellner’s Sasquatch Sunset measures up to Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, but some similarities can easily be drawn. Namely, both films contain depictions of primordial beings as they cope with unexpected obstacles beyond their comprehension.

There’s an impressive duality within the film, as its high-brow aspirations meet and clash against its low-brow comedic sensibilities. Its plot is perhaps the most simple of any film this year: a family of four sasquatches navigate daily life in the wilderness. We watch their routines as they forage for food, discover hidden beauties within the woods and, well, go through their mating rituals. Sasquatch Sunset is a kind of litmus test of a film, where any given audience member could ride its absurd wavelength and enjoy it, or want to get off quickly after it starts.

There is no dialogue within the film – unless you count grunts, whoops, and howls – so we have to rely on the performances of its unrecognizable human cast. Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner appear beneath layers of hairy costumes and impressive prosthetics. Each performer imbues their character with unique characteristics which makes them easy to identify aside from their distinctive looks. But there isn’t enough to latch onto from a character standpoint to sustain a feature-length film, no rooting interest or curiosity in any one character beyond their mere survival.

It is indeed impressive how a film without any dialogue, expository text, or any kind of contextual groundwork can craft any narrative that’s easy to follow, but there’s a lack of meaningful messaging which ultimately hurts Sasquatch Sunset. There are uproariously funny moments, especially as the family encounters new, sometimes human-made, obstacles that they’ve clearly never seen before. Shot like a vintage nature documentary by cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, the film does not shy away from what’s often cut from airing on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet. Namely, the scatological and hormonal urges of what are essentially animals. Again, you will either definitely gel with the film’s methodology, or you definitely will not.

If there are any themes to be found, it’s in the preservation of nature and the unexpected chaos that our human intrusion often causes. And, much like the apes in 2001, the Zellners posit that the family of Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) in Sasquatch Sunset may never be the same.

Sasquatch Sunset will premiere in theaters nationwide on April 19.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• As I mentioned before, Civil War is loud. The Sound branch historically awards loud war films, so if A24 can mount a successful campaign, I could see a Best Sound nomination happen.