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Film: Siege of Ape Canyon
Year: 2025
Director: Eli Watson
Starring: Marc Myrsell
Review:
This was a documentary that I got the chance to see thanks to Justin Cook. It is another one from the Small Town Monsters production company. What is interesting is that this isn’t done by Seth Breedlove. Our director is Eli Watson. That piqued my intrigue to see how similar or different this would be. I wasn’t familiar with the incident that is the basis of this, but I have heard of Ape Canyon in the past.
Synopsis: in 1924, gold prospectors led by Fred Beck claimed they were attacked by ape-like creatures in Washington. This documentary features interviews, analysis and footage revealing the truth behind the infamous encounter.
Let’s then start with this incident. Like the synopsis said, it was back in 1924. Fred along with a group of miners were staying in a cabin. They were set upon by a group of animals that they believed to be sasquatches. There was a famous book about the ordeal that was written by Fred’s son, Ronald. The issue there was the interviews took place quite a bit of time after everything happened. There is speculation that Ronald also took liberties and sensationalized it.
The documentary follows local expert Marc Myrsell, who is interviewed along with others about the incident and evidence of the cryptid. Marc's deep pursuit of the truth is commendable, particularly when the incident was reportedly refuted as a hoax by children who encountered the miners. Marc uses contemporary newspaper accounts from the time the Associated Press wire began. He presents his research objectively without trying to convince the viewer.
That’s not all he’s done. Marc has sought out the survivors of that incident. Now from the sounds of it, they have all passed away. He has then shifted to looking for their relatives. This added heart, talking to a daughter of one of the miners. She didn’t know anything about the story until meeting him. Marc does also seem to find the daughter and grandchildren of Fred. They actually start to help in the search for the mine.
What is also interesting here is that Marc has found the site of the cabin. This was back in 2013. It was thought to have been completely lost to time. It almost became a local myth. He still hasn’t been able to discover the location of the mine itself. He hasn’t given up, continuing that search.
I will then say that the people interviewed are interesting. It truly falls on Marc’s shoulders though. It is commendable that all his hard work has kept this alive. He’s also been able to prevent this from becoming just a tall-tale. There is truth here. I will also say that this is slightly a different approach than what I’m used to for documentaries from this team. It is still well-made. The cinematography, framing and being able to show the areas they are talking about is good. Editing in old maps and photographs is a good touch as well.
In conclusion, this offers a compelling and well-produced deep dive into the infamous 1924 incident, distinguishing itself even within the Small Town Monsters catalog thanks to Watson's direction. The documentary hinges on the diligent, objective research of local expert Myrsell, whose efforts to locate the historic cabin site and connect with the miners' descendants lend a significant emotional weight and credibility to the decades-old story. While the film retains the quality cinematography and careful editing expected of the production company, it provides a slightly different, more grounded approach, ultimately succeeding in transforming what could have become mere local folklore back into a serious subject of investigation.
My Rating: 7 out of 10