Sequoia: Nature, Pumas, and a Whole Lot of Dust

Is this worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for animals acting like they’ve read the script, sure. It’s an odd, dusty, black-and-white relic that feels more like a nature documentary gone rogue than a standard drama. If you need tight pacing or modern acting, you’ll probably be checking your phone within ten minutes. 🐾

There is something genuinely weird about watching a puma and a deer just... hanging out. You can tell the trainers were working overtime. Gato the puma doesn't look like he’s acting; he looks like he’s just waiting for his snack, which actually makes the whole thing feel more grounded.

The scenery in the Sequoia forests is massive. It makes the humans look like ants, which might have been the point. Sometimes the camera just sits there, letting the wind blow through the trees for way longer than a modern movie would ever dare. It’s peaceful, honestly.

Wait, did that deer just nudge him?

The plot about the logging and the hunters feels like an afterthought. It’s just there to give the movie a reason to have an ending. You don’t watch this for the human drama, which is a bit stiff and reads like a stage play. You watch it to see how they managed to film these creatures without anyone getting eaten.

It reminds me a bit of the vibe in The Royal Chinook where nature is definitely the main character. The humans are just guests here, stumbling through the brush. At one point, the editing gets so choppy it’s like they just threw the reels together on a Friday afternoon.

I found myself squinting at the screen, trying to figure out if that was a real bear or just a guy in a very itchy suit. It’s that kind of movie. You stop analyzing the story and start playing 'is that real or is that a prop' for the rest of the runtime. 🌲

• The puma is actually the best actor in the cast.
• Some of the forest shots are genuinely beautiful, even through the grain.
• The dialogue is mostly just people shouting exposition at trees.

It’s not perfect. It’s barely even coherent at times. But there’s a heart to it that you don't see anymore. It’s a messy, wild, and oddly specific snapshot of a time when movies didn't need to make total sense to be watchable.