Grizzly Night
Directed by Burke DoerenOn August 12th, 1967, in Montana's Glacier National Park, the unthinkable happened: On the same night, nine miles apart, there were not one-but two-fatal grizzly bear attacks. "Grizzly Night" is the horrifying true story of the victims, the survivors, and the groups of strangers who banded together on that fateful summer night.
Grizzly Night Ratings & Reviews
- Jim Pickett12 February 2026Not good at all
- jackmeat11 February 2026My quick rating - 4.7/10. Grizzly Night is the rare “based on a true story” survival thriller that doesn’t try to turn nature into a CGI supervillain, and for that alone, it earns a respectful nod from me. Preferably from a safe distance, inside a locked vehicle, with the windows up. Directed by Burke Doeren, the film recounts the real events of August 12, 1967, when two fatal grizzly bear attacks occurred nine miles apart in Montana’s Glacier National Park. Same night, same park, very bad luck, zero common sense. Right from the opening scene, the movie signals what kind of ride you’re in for. Realistic, tense, and not interested in turning the bears into horror movie slashers with fur. This isn’t Cocaine Bear or Grizzly Rage 9: Campground Carnage. It plays more like a dramatic procedural survival thriller, focused on human decisions, and the horrifying realization that nature does not care about your camping itinerary. The structure is effective. A little preview to get us started up front, and we come back around about half an hour later with the context, the dread, and the growing realization that a few of these individuals here shouldn't be permitted anywhere near the wildlife without a release form and a chaperone. The way it handles the unpreparedness of the park for dealing with the multiple animal assaults is quite good. Visually, this is where the film really shines. The cinematography by Brian Mitchell and Ian Start captures Glacier National Park as both breathtaking and deeply intimidating. The wide framing constantly reminds you how small and snack-sized humans are out there. The scale works in the movie’s favor. Every tree line feels like a possible jump-scare waiting room. The mix of practical effects and what appears to be real bear footage adds a gritty authenticity. The post-attack effects are especially well done. Brutal without feeling cartoonish. I’ll admit I wanted a bit more on-screen attack action, but what we do get is convincing and handled with restraint. Lauren Call (Joan) - thrust into reluctant-hero territory - delivers a strong performance, selling the fear and responsibility arc nicely. And yes, it was fun seeing Brec Bassinger (Stargirl) show up as Julie, one of the campers whose decision-making skills strongly suggest she would also try to pet a chainsaw. She does well, though. Believable, earnest, and exactly the kind of character who makes you yell at the screen. The darkest, most fascinating part is the historical mindset. Many people at the time genuinely underestimated grizzly danger. Modern viewers will spend half the movie thinking, “Congratulations, you have invented the Bad Idea Olympics.” But the film backs this up with contextual detail, so the questionable choices feel historically accurate rather than lazily written. No over-the-top monster mayhem here. Just a sober, well-shot reminder that apex predators don’t need a musical score to be terrifying. Recommended for fans of killer animal flicks, survival dramas, or movies that will make you think twice about having a picnic, ever again. Definitely a 0/10 for vacation inspiration.
- ርልዪረ30 January 2026ฅ՞•ﻌ•՞ฅ I love bear movies. So I watched Grizzly Night. The set up and the characters seemed confusing - like - is this a comedy or an all out gore-action movie? No one can tell. I was willing to forgive this lapse in actualisation, but then I realised that they would always drop off during the bear attacks. No gore, no bear-human conflict on camera. Everything is implied. I stopped watching halfway. And I haven t done that with many movies.
- Shoel Palli8 February 2026Cocaine Bear minus the cocaine
- Paul Kalkhof3 February 2026A really long, drawn out movie where grizzly bears attack off screen and thoughts and prayers happen on screen. Poor production values, poor writing, and poor pacing makes this the first must miss movie of 2026.
- mhamreus5 February 2026I’m a bit on the fence with Grizzly Night, but there’s enough here to keep it from being a write-off. What works best is the film’s unintentional honesty about human stupidity. People in bear country leave trash out because the incinerator is full, shrug it off, and then act stunned when a grizzly shows up like it just found a late-night buffet. The bear isn’t a monster. It’s doing bear things. The movie gets that part right. Where it stumbles is clarity. This is very much a period piece, but the film glosses over that until late, and the old ranger trucks quietly give the game away. Without that context early on, some choices feel dumber than they need to be. A simple opening title would’ve reset expectations and strengthened the whole “you’re on your own out here” tension. At its core, though, the lesson lands. Know what you’re doing before you head into the wilderness. Respect where you are. And don’t confuse preparation with confidence. Because if you go down to the woods today… you might be in for a very big surprise.
- parcolan4 February 2026Fine for one time view, but the movie had the potential to be more interesting, but unfortunately plot …
- Jake1 February 2026I must say, this film is holy the way it turned pee pee into poo poo! The acting was fine, the slow breath death scene was the most convincing part of the entire film. Not every script needs depth of character setup, but this film had nothing to bite on. Save yourself the time, read the articles, check the Wikipedia page, or enjoy Jack Olsen's novel regarding the events. They should have went full Hollywood and had the bear jump out and maul the chopper to extend the disaster piece into a fictional horror. Fat chance I waste hard drive space on this bizniz.. gg go next!
- Steven Burns1 February 2026Just terrible
Grizzly Night Trivia
Grizzly Night was released on 29 January 2026.
Grizzly Night was directed by Burke Doeren.
Grizzly Night has a runtime of 87m.
Grizzly Night was produced by Lauren Call, Burke Doeren, Kellie Doeren.
On August 12th, 1967, in Montana's Glacier National Park, the unthinkable happened: On the same night, nine miles apart, there were not one-but two-fatal grizzly bear attacks. "Grizzly Night" is the horrifying true story of the victims, the survivors, and the groups of strangers who banded together on that fateful summer night.
The key characters in Grizzly Night are Gary Bunney (Charles Esten), Dr. John Lindberg (Oded Fehr), Julie Helgeson (Brec Bassinger).
Grizzly Night is rated 15.
Grizzly Night is a Drama, Horror, Thriller film.
Grizzly Night has an audience rating of 7.2 out of 10.
Grizzly Night had a budget of US$3M.