The Ultimate Bigfoot Movie Ranking: 47 Yeti, Sasquatch, And Abominable Snowman Movies Ranked

Everyone has a weakness when it comes to the kinds of movies they can't help but watch despite the sheer quantity of subjectively bad examples. For me that's Bigfoot movies.

Bigfoot. Yeti. Sasquatch. Skunk Ape. Bipedal Bob. The big, hairy legend is known by different names around the world, and the movies about the beast have been equally varied. The majority aren't all that great, but some aim for laughs and others aim for thrills, making it difficult to compare in any responsible way. Luckily for you though I've never claimed to be all that responsible. Exhibit A? Below is a ranked list of Bigfoot movies. Lots and lots of Bigfoot movies. More Bigfoot movies than any one person should probably watch in their lifetime. And I've ranked them... for you.

Because genre and intent vary so much between them I looked at three different factors – 1) the story, or basically what the film does with Bigfoot, 2) the actual look and design of the creature, and 3) the film's overall entertainment value.

With that in mind, here's the ultimate Bigfoot movie ranking from worst to best! (Note: Despite my very strong urge to do so, I'm not including the TV show Bigfoot and Wildboy or the classic Six Million-Dollar Man two-parter where Steve Austin fights Bigfoot.)

Story? Shirtless young men with little guns roam the woods around their rural estate and are soon visited by Bigfoot and D.B. Cooper.

Monster? Pretty sure it's the same one from above.

Entertainment? David DeCoteau returns to the Bigfoot subgenre with equally uninspired results, but hey, at least the end of the film explains why Cooper was never found. Spoiler... he's Bigfoot?

Story? College kids cross paths with Bigfoot when they head into woods where the beast killed some folks ten years prior.

Monster? Ha! No. He looks like a squat furball with an over-sized head that resembles a Chinese New Year dragon.

Entertainment? It's cool that people love Bigfoot enough to go ahead and make a Bigfoot movie despite having no discernible talents behind the camera, but what are the odds they'd find such an equally skilled cast? This shot-on-video effort feels like a community effort from the direction and editing on through the scoring and creature effects. It's terrible, and not even the martial arts champion "final girl" can save it.

Story? A teacher tells his students about the legend of Bigfoot.

Monster? The filmmakers apparently collected roadkill over the course of a few days, sewed the corpses together into an ill-fitting suit, and voila! Bigfoot.

Entertainment? The film mixes documentary-ish footage with narrative portrayals, but you won't care about any of it. It's amateur hour from beginning to end, and the disjointed structure ensures there's nothing compelling people to watch through to the end.

Story? The legend of Bigfoot is explored.

Monster? There are several, but aside from seeing them in silhouette as they toss rocks onto a cabin, below they're pretty much indistinguishable from the shadows.

Entertainment? The film's narrated like a documentary without the addition of talking heads being interviewed. Instead we're shown historical/nature documentary footage before we shift into a narrative with the action constantly explained via the narration of someone who was there. "I stopped for lunch. I did this. I did that." Skip it and eat your own lunch instead.

Story? A small town is terrorized by a murderous Bigfoot.

Monster? Impossible to see until the very last moments at which point he's pretty much what you expect.

Entertainment? It opens well with horny teens slaughtered in the back seat of their '57 Chevy, but it immediately devolves into a poorly acted/directed slog. Dialogue and exposition feel endless, and while there's a mildly interesting turn in the script, it's not nearly enough to justify a watch. The bigfoot action is shrouded in darkness thanks to some of the worst 'day for night' filmmaking you've ever seen. It's like they've turned the contrast down and then added a blue filter.

Story? Friends cross paths with some yetis while shredding on the slopes.

Monster? It's mostly bad news as the creatures are all CG – and not the good kind – but I can't help but give the movie points for messing with the yetis' appearance some by having them walk like gorillas with powerful forearms.

Entertainment? The shoddy CG prevents much in the way of thrills, but even if the effects were top notch, the blandness of the characters and action would still hold things back. It's just never all that exciting even as our military-trained heroes are facing off against the animated beasts.

Story? Two prospectors cross paths with a Yowie in the Australian outback.

Monster? There's a reason it appears mostly out of focus or hidden behind trees.

Entertainment? The film starts promisingly enough, and it's always nice soaking in the Australian scenery, but no. In addition to the creature's clear cheapness, the action is so poorly staged and crafted as to be offensive. The script is no better, with characters behaving as if there isn't a damn Bigfoot creature standing in front of them.

Story? Friends cross paths with Bigfoot while looking for their dog in the woods.

Monster? We don't really see the creatures all that close up, but the costume looks like a cross between a Cro-Magnon man and an orangutang.

Entertainment? The film runs under 80 minutes, but nearly 70 of them consist either of these guys griping to each other, walking through the woods, or griping to each other while walking through the woods. There's a brief bit of suspense and running towards the end, but it's too little too late and amounts to nothing of note. The score is nice though.

Story? Friends and co-workers cross paths with Bigfoot-ish creatures while looking for them in the woods.

Monster? You too can animate a CG Bigfoot on your Casio calculator.

Entertainment? The film plays it straight, and the high number of characters means most of them aren't annoying, but those positives struggle to overcome the presence of such laughably bad (but admittedly charming) animation.

Story? A professor and his students cross paths with a yeti on an island.

Monster? It looks like a bipedal sheepdog in running shoes.

Entertainment? A low budget affair all the way around (with the creature being the worst offender) this is a bad movie that entertains despite itself. It's inconsistent in the fun, as there are multiple stretches of dull dialogue, but when it's nutty, it's damn nutty. It turns out that the island holds bigger secrets beyond just a simple yeti roaming the woods. Come for the yeti, stay for the mysterious meat dish.

Story? A father and son cross paths with Bigfoot while dealing with financial issues at a cabin in the woods.

Monster? He's pretty standard looking – big and hairy.

Entertainment? There's promise in the structure, as the film focuses first on the drama of a father and son dealing with death and financial collapse before the creature enters the picture. Unfortunately though, what should be time for viewers to grow attached to these characters is instead spent hating them. The script leans too often towards the obnoxious, and rather than find suspense in their efforts to survive, we're left wishing they wouldn't.

Story? A man-made forest fire pisses off Bigfoot, leading to multiple murders and mutilations.

Monster? A mix of practical and CG, the creature actually looks pretty good when not in motionless close-up.

Entertainment? The threat of Bigfoot is paired with the encroachment of man (particularly a greedy developer), and while the former storyline is far more exciting, it's still not all that exciting. It's a pretty harmless film all things considered. Some rough CG and green-screen work doesn't help, but when the focus is on the beast and his carnage, it's engaging enough.

Story? A college professor and his students cross paths with the Bigfoot creature they're looking for in the woods.

Monster? The monster's barely glimpsed with his dark fur frequently lost in the shadows, and the one close-up of his face is far from memorable.

Entertainment? Charles B. Pierce returns to Boggy Creek for the first time since his 1972 debut with another narrated look at mankind's meeting with the big guy. It's every bit as dry most of the time, but there's some personality in a handful of encounters and the route it takes with the creature's motivations.

Story? A young couple returning to her small hometown are talked into exploring the woods for Bigfoot, and unfortunately they find him.

Monster? The suit looks to be made of unruly pubic hair.

Entertainment? This indie flick talks about Bigfoot for a while before he actually comes into play as the focus is instead on the couple's relationship and the conflicts that arise from jealousy, insecurity, and old feelings. It's more than a little frustrating, but finds some engagement in the writing and performances. And then Bigfoot arrives, and they lose all semblance of realism.

Story? Bigfoot crosses paths with some people when he's captured and brought into the city limits.

Monster? He's short and a bit tubby, but he's got an aggressive and mean look about him.

Entertainment? This action/horror riff on Bigfoot works best as just that, but too often it tries to be funny and fails miserably. It's at times painfully unfunny. The actual action is good, cheap fun, as the rampaging beast tears his way through doors and people alike. Watch it with a few drinks in your belly.

Story? A man tells his grown son about a Bigfoot encounter he was told about half a century earlier.

Monster? Not too shabby, but the facial design makes him look like a wise old wizard in a fantasy film.

Entertainment? There's a sincere, almost faith-based feel to this film with its themes of trust, family, and responsibility, but it's never overdone to the point of pushiness. Instead it plays like a straightforward drama with a monster problem. The creature's look works for a while as it's a well-crafted suit, but we see far too much of it late in the film.

Story? Various encounters with Bigfoot in rural Arkansas are dramatized, complete with a narrator who grew up round dem parts.

Monster? He's a dark mass, typically in the distance and/or out of focus.

Entertainment? This indie success story – $20 million gross on a $100k budget – starts on the premise of everything we're about to see is true, but its various re-enactments are all based on hearsay and local legend. The film's structure makes for an uneven and disjointed experience as some of the sequences are more engaging than others. There's no denying it manages some low-budget chills, but the lack of any real characters hurts our engagement. We do get a folk song about loneliness played over images of a solitary Bigfoot moving solemnly through the swamps, though.

Story? A flurry of deaths are revealed to be the work of the legendary creature of Arak, aka white Bigfoot, and his son Arak Jr. But could they be the real victims here?

Monster? The beasts look like people in fat suits that have been matted in sheep wool.

Entertainment? Bigfoot may look goofy and lack flair in his killings, but there's some fun to be had here as poachers and the town sheriff work to find the creature while the locals enjoy some disco dancing. We get some monster POV shots inexplicably paired with heavy breathing, as if Bigfoot is pleasuring himself while watching his prey. (To be clear, Bigfoot is not actually masturbating.) The film is also elevated above the fray thanks to its opening credits theme song, "My Spirit Runs Free," which should probably be our new national anthem.

Story? A family welcomes Bigfoot into their home, and hijinks ensue.

Monster? Rick Baker designed Harry, so of course it's the best-looking Bigfoot to ever grace the screen.

Entertainment? This is a perfectly okay family film held aloft by Baker's Bigfoot and a fun cast, but that pretty much sums it up. The antics are familiar, the comedy is slight, and it's ultimately fairly forgettable outside of Baker's handiwork. It's probably the best option to share with kids, though.

Story? A scientist heads into the woods to collect samples and get over a recent breakup, but in addition to the meditative calm she's seeking, she also finds Bigfoot.

Monster? He looks fantastic with an impressive size and tangible feel to his presence and appearance.

Entertainment? Easily one of the more unusual Bigfoot movies, this indie drama is as concerned with the mystical as it is the mythical. It embraces the connection between people and nature, and while it never becomes the Bigfoot thriller some viewers may hope for, it offers something unique and reflective instead.

Story? A family resort in the woods sees its costumed "Bigfoot" monsters (employees in furry suits) turn deadly after ingesting contaminated water.

Monster? They're fake and intentionally cheesy, but a surprise guest later on looks far more impressive.

Entertainment? This horror/comedy flew under the radar upon its release, but it deserves more eyeballs as it delivers laughs and plenty of gory bits. Kane Hodder and Doug Jones are the only familiar faces, but most of the cast does good work balancing the comedy and the thrills. It plays pretty broad at times, but the laughs land if you're open to them. The bloody fun needs no such disclaimer, as the practical effects are wonderfully wet and effective.

Story? A couple crosses paths with Bigfoot while exploring the Northern California woods.

Monster? This may be controversial for such a high ranking, but... we don't really see Bigfoot.

Entertainment? There are plenty of folks who hate Bobcat Goldthwait's foray into the horror genre, and it's difficult to argue with someone's dislike of a found footage film because I get it... found footage films suck. That said, this is easily one of the best thanks to its increasingly tense narrative, truly likable protagonists (due to strong performances), and some legitimately frightening sequences. The tent scene is a masterpiece of single, static-shot terror, and while the ending leaves some viewers wanting more, it's both a harrowing and refreshing turn for the rest of us.

Story? A college professor and his students cross paths with the Bigfoot creature they're looking for in the woods, but the truth behind its existence is even more disturbing.

Monster? He looks like Alfred Molina in Ladyhawke after waxing his chest and stomach.

Entertainment? This nutty, full-blown horror film is an absolute blast as it fills the screen with gory bits, naked bits, and bits of pure genre bliss. It's no big budget affair, but if you're an '80s horror fan then this is a must-see gem. From the brilliant title screen – blood from a severed arm slowly fills in the creature's footprint – to a sleeping bag death that predates Friday the 13th Part VII by eight years, a deliriously great double Girl Scout death, a scene where Bigfoot uses a guy's intestines like nunchucks, and a third act that jettisons good taste with abandon... this is just a fun time at the movies.