During Christmastime in Pottersville, a small town still smarting from the mill’s closure, Maynard Grieger [Michael Shannon] runs the local general store and clings to a quiet dream that this season might bring some spark back to life. He returns home early, hoping to surprise his wife, Connie [Christina Hendricks], only to discover that she has stepped out of the ordinary into a bizarre situation: she and Sheriff Jack [Ron Perlman] are in costumes, and Connie confesses she needs more excitement in her life and would like some time apart.
After a drunken night at the store, Maynard recounts his strange night to Parker [Judy Greer], and in a mix of frustration and longing for a fresh start, he dresses up in a gorilla costume and begins roaming the town, startling residents and turning heads as the curious Christmas crowds drift by. The next morning, the rumor mill runs wild when he’s misidentified as Bigfoot. Instead of confessing, Maynard recognizes a peculiar opportunity: the attention could turn into real economic benefit for Pottersville, so he continues to lean into the disguise.
As the Bigfoot craze intensifies, Brock Masterson [Thomas Lennon], the host of a monster-hunting reality show, arrives in town. He pretends to chase evidence for his program, but privately he’s skeptical about the existence of such a creature. His skepticism clashes with the growing enthusiasm around the hoax, and after a tense encounter with Maynard in costume, Brock is rattled and uneasy about staying much longer.
Brock presses on, enlisting the help of Sheriff Jack [Ron Perlman] and Bart [Ian McShane], a seasoned local hunter, to pursue the mystery of Bigfoot. Back in town, Parker discovers Maynard’s ongoing Bigfoot act and tries to talk him out of dressing up again, wary that Bart’s mounting suspicions could lead to violence. Yet Maynard presses on with his plan, a decision that temporarily blurs the lines between spectacle and truth.
The moment of truth arrives when Brock captures the supposed Bigfoot and brings it back to the town. Parker then reveals the ruse: the “Bigfoot” is actually Maynard in a gorilla suit. Brock declares his intention to sue the town, and the crowd, initially furious at the deception, cools when Parker exposes Maynard’s genuine motive—helping the community hold its together and manage their debts, as his ledger is revealed to be blank.
Forgiveness follows quickly. The townspeople rally to Maynard, and Connie forgives him, asking for a chance to rebuild their relationship, though Maynard chooses to move forward on his own terms. Brock’s TV career hits a swift downturn as the truth about him is exposed, and he is discharged from his show. Seeing a global hunger for the Bigfoot story, Maynard and Parker decide to transform the Pottersville Mill into a museum dedicated to the legend, a tribute to the town’s resilience and entrepreneurship.
As the couple exchanges a hopeful kiss, the night air fills with a distant, ominous howl, hinting that the legend of Bigfoot may yet loom larger than anyone expected.
