Hunt for the Skinwalker (2018)

Since my decision to start off February with more horror-themed content in light of all the musicals I ended January with, I decided to give a shot to a documentary on Hulu titled Hunt for the Skinwalker. The description suggested something interesting: a look into the strange things that go around on a ranch in Utah, nicknamed “Skinwalker Ranch,’ where UFOs and other weird phenomena are supposed to happen on a routine basis. I’ve heard about the legend of the Skinwalker, a Native American belief in shapeshifting monsters that stalk prey unrelentingly. I wouldn’t say I believe in those things, but a well-done documentary can at least be entertaining.

Of course, now Hulu is recommending all kinds of crazy stuff for me to watch, so we’ll see how this all turns out.

This documentary comes from filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, part of his “Extraordinary Beliefs” series. I’ve never heard of either before, but that’s what this is. The documentary is also based on a book from some of the scientists who did extensive research into the phenomena around the ranch, plus a single journalist allowed to document what they did. After a brief prologue where Corbell insists the U.S. Government has acknowledged the existence of UFOs as proof of alien visits, the film turns to the Skinwalker ranch in Utah where UFOs and other weird stuff happens. The aforementioned journalist and and other investigators appear frequently, and in the end, the current owner of the land, a man who does not wish to be identified (Wikipedia did have a name there), sits down to offer his views while his face is hidden and his voice distorted.

Does it say anything that the man with his face and voice disguised is somehow the creepiest thing in the entire film?

Corbell could have had a creepy film here, or at least one that was a little more well-balanced. “UFO” does not automatically mean “aliens,” for starters. It simply means something that was identified. The film makes automatic assumptions like that, ignoring other possible explanations. When the current owner says anyone who doubts there’s something going on at Skinwalker Ranch must be “delusional,” well, that’s not a good way to present findings.

To be sure, there are a lot of weird stories around the ranch and the people who live in the area. There are stories about bulletproof wolves, strange voices, shadowy figures, and documented cattle mutilation on top of all the UFO sightings. That’s actually one of the problems for the film. Rather than focusing on one weird phenomenon and maybe offering some proof that it may or may not be true, Cobell focuses on, well, all of it. That is a lot to jam into two hours, and Corbell’s habit of having things people say appear as visible text during interviews makes the whole thing seem silly. And if it isn’t silly, it’s actuallt rather dull.

So, is there weird stuff happening around “Skinwalker Ranch”? I don’t know. But I do know that this film wasn’t very convincing one way or the other.

Grade: C-