My quick rating - 3.6/10. Sometimes a film can have all the right ingredients—monsters, family feuds, a sprinkle of magic, and even a dash of tragic romance—and still manage to come out tasting bland. American Cryptids is one of those frustrating cases. On paper, it’s a setup that should at least be entertaining: two warring families, one human and one not-so-human, caught in an uneasy attempt at peace. Inevitably, violence erupts. Unfortunately, instead of delivering a tight horror-drama, the film meanders, leaving more yawns than chills in its wake.
To give credit where it’s due, director Erynn Dalton clearly knows how to handle aesthetics. The production values are far above what you’d expect from a mid-tier creature feature, and the decision to stick with practical effects is a welcome one. Nothing looks overly cheap or distracting; the monsters, while mild in design, fit the budget and avoid the dreaded SyFy Channel look. From a purely technical standpoint, Dalton nails the presentation.
Where the movie falls apart is in its execution of the story and pacing. The script never gels into a coherent narrative. We’re told these families are locked in conflict, yet the film never truly shows us the weight or history of that war. Instead, we get bits and pieces, peppered with a limp Romeo-and-Juliet subplot that feels like an afterthought rather than a driving force. Actions happen, people die, skeletal hands get stolen, but very little of it carries consequence or clarity. You’re left watching events unfold without ever being invited to care about them.
The cast does what they can with the material. The acting is adequate—nobody embarrasses themselves—but there’s no spark to latch onto either. It’s the cinematic equivalent of polite small talk: serviceable, but unmemorable. The problem isn’t the talent on screen but the script they’re working from, which offers too little characterization and too much empty motion.
And that’s really the crux of American Cryptids. It isn’t a disaster. It isn’t laughably bad or insultingly cheap. Instead, it’s worse in some ways: boring. The promise of monsters and magic fizzles into long stretches of flat storytelling that sap the life out of what should have been a pulpy, fun ride. By the end, the bloodshed and claws feel like window dressing for a story that never figured out how to be engaging.
It’s a shame, because there are good elements here, practical effects, solid production values, even an earnest attempt at myth-making, but they never add up to something satisfying. I wanted to like this one, but American Cryptids just doesn’t work.
I am not seeing any streamers for this one yet on JustWatch.
https://jackmeat.com/american-cryptids-2025/
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