Cold Prey (2006) review

26. Cold Prey (2006)

Directed by: Roar Uthaug

Produced by: Martin Sundland, Magne Lyngner

Screenplay by: Thomas Moldestad

Starring: Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Viktoria Winge, Endre Martin Midstigen, Tomas Alf Larsen

Let’s see…what foreign countries have I not reviewed a movie from…hmmm…how about Norway? I doubt many of you have seen or even heard of this film, but it’s kind of an unknown gem that’s contemporary but also kind of a throwback. Released in 2006, “Cold Prey” is a basic, well-worn story about a group of people being killed off by a lunatic, yet comes out surprisingly fresh and entertaining. I remember watching it in college as part of a film class, and it was always vivid in my mind; upon watching it again, it still holds up thanks to the characters, music and cinematography.

The plot involves a bunch of friends—Jannicke (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal), her boyfriend Eirik (Tomas Alf Larsen), Ingunn (Viktoria Winge), Mikal (Endre Martin Midstigen) and Morten Tobias (Rolf Kristian Larsen)—going on a snowboarding vacation in the Scandinavian mountains. Morten Tobias breaks his leg in a fall; it’s too far to get him safely to the car before dark and they have no cell reception—naturally—so they travel to a deserted nearby lodge and patch him up. The place is in mild disarray and shambles, but after fixing the generator, they all start to relax and enjoy themselves: listening to music, downing food and drink, fooling around under the covers, all that good stuff. However, it turns out they’re not alone; the basement is full of freshly used items and weapons, which all belong to a large Mountain Man (Rune Melby) wearing skins and goggles, who starts killing them one at a time.

So yeah, this is pretty basic stuff, very akin to the slasher classics of the 1980s; they’re essentially going up against Jason Voorhees under blizzard conditions. Now why do I enjoy it here but not with something like “Hatchet,” which came out the same year? Well, that movie was primarily about the gore, which was excellent; but everything else was weak—characters, production design, etc. It’s a movie you watch if you’re purposely in the mood for something trashy and stupid; here, the violence is more downplayed—though gritty at times, especially when it comes to Morten Tobias’s injury—while the characters are infinitely more likeable, and the craft is impressive. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal has great presence and passion as Jannicke, while everyone else has convincing depth; they aren’t just there to fill out roles of the good guy, ditz, asshole and comic relief. They all have their own respective arcs, which come out through genuine interactions and how they respond to this terrifying situation.

I like much of the camerawork; there are plenty of sweeping shots of the snowy mountains, and the point-of-view shots make for some good tension during the down time. There are a couple of lame jump-scares, like when Ingunn and Mikal are deliberately trying to spook each other, but one is actually really clever. It’s when Mikal sees what looks like a puddle of blood on the floor of the pantry, only to discover it’s the remains of a can of soup that Morten Tobias has dropped, while he’s on the ground, unable to get up. The chase scenes are full of intensity, especially with the body language and how everyone keeps going through whatever means of survival they have; Jannicke becomes a pretty bad-ass character by the end. My only real issue is with the Mountain Man himself; it’s just not a very interesting design, and the back story is too rushed, making for kind of a strange, offbeat ending.

But in all honesty, “Cold Prey” is a really solid and nerve-wracking slasher film; in fact, it’s been hailed as one of the best modern Norwegian horror films—I mean, it’s no “Dead Snow,” but not every movie’s daring enough to feature Nazi zombies. With all seriousness, I believe more people need to know about this movie; it has some of the best aspects of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” “Friday the 13th” and “The Shining,” while remaining very much its own thing. In 2017, there was an American remake announced, but there’s been almost no news about it since, so who knows if it will ever happen. Most of the faults this movie has are minor; it’s great filmmaking that deserves more recognition.

My rating: 8.5/10