I had the opportunity to check out films from the Unnamed Footage Festival, which highlights found footage movies. While it’s a divisive subgenre, I love to watch found footage flicks! They are perfect to watch at 11:00 PM on a laptop in the dark with noise-cancelling headphones. That is exactly how I watched Frogman Returns (2025), which is a sequel to Frogman (2023). I recommend the original film because the third act goes off the rails. I did not expect Frogman Returns to snatch my edges off in the middle of the night, but here I stand, bald!
The sequel follows Dallas (Nathan Tymoshuk) after the events of the first film. He is on another show that searches for cryptids. This leads him to return to Loveland, Ohio, to connect with Amy (Chelsea Grant) and search for Frogman. This film does not take the standard journey, and I love it!
There’s No Business Like Frog Business
First of all, the performances by Nathan Tymoshuk, Chelsea Grant, and Natalie Olivia Tran (who plays Lucy Campbell) carry the movie. Once you sink into the film, they feel like real characters. It’s easy to follow them when there isn’t much happening onscreen. While every scene isn’t action-packed, there is plenty of drama. I’m glad the movie made a choice to have Dallas and Amy in a negative space. Other movies would have forced a positive relationship. However, she never forgets his behavior from the first movie. The drama keeps audiences locked in until the supernatural takes over the plot.
Alexis Allotta as Bridget Sauer feels like a caricature of a producer who is willing to do anything to get the shot. Found footage movies often feature internet shows that search for ghosts or monsters. The producers always ignore warnings to get ratings. She is a helpful member of the crew and assists in moving the plot along, but she is skeptical about the overall dangers. Bridget doesn’t consider Dallas’ hesitation because she hasn’t seen Frogman, which leads to another aspect of the film that I enjoyed.
Frogman Fucks
Frogman Returns is meta as hell! The characters know about the existence of the Frogman movie. Dallas’ movie exposed the cryptids, and now they are treated less like conspiracies and more like secretive species. There are multiple shows that exist that look for cryptids. Dallas and his crew even run into another crew looking for the same creature. This decision to open the Frogman universe to anyone interested in cryptids was a fun choice. It leads to an even bigger surprise during the climax. I also love how Dallas has something from the first movie that shows the frogman magic before we engage with the creature again. It was used to set up the final battle.
Just like the first movie, the sequel turns the heat up to incinerate in the third act. The first two acts are about setting up this new universe, impacted by the first movie, finding Amy, and unraveling the mystery behind her return. Once those things are resolved, the ride gets wild! The crew goes looking for Frogman, and he is waiting for them. Some of the climax feels like an 80’s film, and I love it! We have cults, creatures, and exploding heads. The special effects are also ramped up. We get to see plenty of other beings, and there’s a setup for an interesting third movie that doesn’t have to deal directly with Frogman: I love a side mission! Frogman Returns surpasses the first movie, and I can’t wait to see what director and co-writer Anthony Cousins cooks up next!
