Writer/director James Chick‘s killer bigfoot movie Feet of Death easily could have fallen into B-movie territory. It is, after all, a movie about a series of slayings committed by Bigfoot in the Mount St. Helens area. However, the feature injects drama and solid characterization that elevates this indie film beyond a midnight showing on the Syfy network.

Initially, Feet of Death sets up the expectation that it’ll follow social media influencer Chris Dixon (Eric Berger) for the majority of the runtime. Chris hosts a popular program about cyrtids and supernatural occurrences, which brings him to the Mount St. Helens area. Chris feels he’s on the cusp of documenting real evidence that Bigfoot exists. The film’s first act indeed features a lot of Chris, but the narrative shifts and focuses on the feature’s true protagonist, USFS ranger Jason (Andrew Jacob Brown).

Jason investigates a series of odd occurrences in his small town that yes, may indeed be the bloody work of Bigfoot. Jason is joined by his co-worker Al (Tim Blough), the skeptical Sheriff Ken Clark (Jack Vanover), and a hunter named Henry (Benjamin Watts). Much of the film focuses on the investigation and the challenges Jason faces, specifically the skepticism by the likes of the sheriff, who believes a bear or some other animal caused the slayings.

Additionally, the first half of the film plays out like a drama. Jason’s wife died in the slayings, and when the movie opens, he’s rightfully still processing his grief. This is the reason he’s so interested in the case and solving what’s endangering his small town. The horror elements really don’t kick in until the halfway point or so, and there are some gruesome kills and a pretty cool Bigfoot creature design. Yet, getting to that point feels like a bit of a slog. This film is nearly two hours long and suffers from pacing issues.

Despite the sluggish pacing, the film does have some impressive characterization and acting, especially from Brown in the lead role. There’s a moment when his character Jason and Al have a heart to heart about the loss of their loved ones. Al confesses it took him years to process his wife’s death, caused from cancer. This interaction is one of the most notable sequences in the film, even more than some of the kills. It’s simply a touching human scene against a rather outlandish plot.

While Feet of Death feels a bit too long in the tooth, it boasts a cool Bigfoot design, a few gruesome kills, and a protagonist who earns empathy from the viewer. The film rises a hair above a forgettable B-movie experience.