Loch Ness: They Created a Monster is a heartfelt documentary worth obsessing over

★★★★★ | Worth more than three fiddy

Obsession is a funny thing. It can either be consuming and misguided, or rewarding and exalted. All that matters is if you achieve something with it that others approve.

Loch Ness: They Created a Monster is about that elusive halfway point between these two extremes. It depicts the search for an aquatic sea creature that probably doesn’t exist, and most likely never did. That didn’t stop dozens, if not hundreds of hopefuls, from travelling to Scotland to find it. Some came for fame and fortune, others in search of an adventure, and some just because it brought a sense of community.

Whatever the reasons, the hunt for Nessie became a global phenomenon. It captured the hearts and minds of everyone. Because, ultimately, we can’t help but fall in love with the simple question: “what if?”

But as time went on, and public interest waned, the people hunting Nessie became desperate. After all, this is what they had staked not just their fortunes, but entire identities on. How far were they willing to go with their quest, before they could admit that it wasn’t what they had dreamed of?

Written and directed by John MacLaverty, Loch Ness: They Created a Monster is a hugely empathetic and revealing look at a group of self-proclaimed explorers, that ultimately becomes a love letter to the mystery of Loch Ness itself. It unravels like a thriller and never lets up as MacLaverty reveals more levels of intrigue, deception, and hilarity behind the story.

At the same time, it’s a gorgeous exercise in forcing us to think how easily we’re swept away with things. After all, if you step back and think about the Loch Ness monster, it instantly sounds ridiculous. It’s the kind of fantasy that only works if you ignore reality. But when Leonard Nimoy ponders the slight possibility of an ancient dinosaur, still alive in that body of water, your mind and heart begin to race.

MacLaverty smartly draws parallels between mainstream media, FOMO, and good, old-fashioned hubris, and lets the viewers come to their own conclusions. His gentle storytelling never mocks nor condescends. Instead, he simply lets everyone tell their story on their terms. We can read the landscapes of their faces for everything else. I found heartbreak, delusion, and tender acknowledgement that some things were too good to last.

This is a wonderful documentary and a marvel of a time capsule that will stand the test of time. For anyone fascinated by human nature, which is arguably more mysterious than any camera shy creature, it’s a must-see, and easily among the best films of the year.

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