It’s rough around the edges here and there, but “The Fiancé” manages to be a unique idea that allows for some interesting moments of horror and drama altogether. I like how director Mark Allen Michaels turns transforming in to a monster in to something of a metaphor for how the relationship between our main characters is doomed to fail. Dallas Valdez plays Michael, a wealthy man who is on the verge of losing all of his money after criminal dealings with the Russian mafia. Convinced his beautiful wife Sara, as played by Carrie Keagan, will leave him, he invites her up to a cabin in the woods to propose to her. Meanwhile a Sasquatch is on the loose, murdering people and hunting down whoever gets in its way. We follow a documentary crew and a small group of hikers as they’re all injected in to the movie to transform the mythical beast in to a valid threat.
They definitely make for some of the more interesting sub-plots. When Sara finally arrives to the cabin, she’s attacked by the Sasquatch and manages to barely make it out alive. Sadly, the attack has had lycanthropic effects, turning her in to a half Sasquatch monster that is hell bent on mauling Michael. As he thinks back to how they met and fell in love, Michael tries to think of a way to subdue Sara and maybe get her back before she submits to blood lust. “The Fiancé” for the most part is creative and very well directed, with some great special effects. It seems impossible but creature effect artists Michael Sfarzo and Toryn Reed make her look hideous, and Keagan commits to the role quite well. There are some really good haunting moments here and there, from the initial meeting between Sara and Michael, to beastly Sara calming momentarily to music playing in the cabin.
That said, a lot of the flashbacks detract from the momentum the movie gains, and some performances leave a lot to be desired. I also wasn’t a fan of mid-credits scene that leads to a revelation. I think it would have had a bigger impact if it were left ambiguous. Director Mark Allen Michaels’ horror drama about a romance gone to hell has a lot of potential to be as compelling as “Zombie Honeymoon” or “Wolf,” but it tends to sag at eighty minutes. I think about five minutes could have been sliced from “The Fiancé” including the expository flashbacks. Also, does the Sasquatch biting other people turn them in to its offspring as well? Was Sara a special case? If so, then why? Was she a were-Sasquatch? Nevertheless, “The Fiancé” is a solid horror drama with tight production, and a pretty awesome reveal in the final scene of the movie.