Bloodtype Online
For the best of the Horror/Cult/Exploitation film experience
Cold Prey (2006)
As someone who tries to keep up on current horror films it wouldn't surprise me getting a film here at Bloodtype Online that is a slasher film, because we get them all of the time. But when "Cold Prey" came in, I have to say that I was shocked it was a slasher film. Not because of the type of film it is but due to the fact that it's Norwegian. Prior to seeing this movie I can't recall anything coming from there or at least anything memorable so I have to say that it piqued my interest.
"Cold Prey" is about a group of six snowboarders vacationing in Jotunhemen in the mountains. While snowboarding one of the guys in the group injures his leg and they scramble to help him. They find a abandoned hotel in which to take refuge waiting it out until someone can get back to their car the when day breaks. After finding some clues they realize that the reason why the hotel was closed is due to the managers son going missing. At the same time they also realize that they aren't alone in the hotel, which certainly unsettles the group. Will they get out in time to help their friend, or is there something much more sinister setting up in the hotel that they are staying in?
Obviously director Roar Uthaug is a fan of slasher films or at least has seen some prior to him making this film. The movie follows a lot of the conventions that slasher films usually do, but this one is without a notable exception; gore. From what I've been able to dig up there was a theatrical version that was fully uncut, but this isn't the version being released on DVD. For whatever reason though the movie simply doesn't pack the punch it needs to when the kills in the movie start happening. Let's be honest here, if a slasher film is very cliched and the story isn't very intricate then you need some red to at least keep the audience for these films interested. This movie simply doesn't do that as there is very little on screen gore and on top of it the kills are nothing that hasn't been done a million times over in films like this. Surely I'm not looking for a ton of originality here as it's not necessarily needed to make a good slasher, but damn this one doesn't stand a chance due to the fact that it's virtually bloodless.
The acting in the film isn't too bad and although all of the characters are paper thin and completely devoid of personality. This doesn't help either as the killer is generally off screen in the film and what is happening in front of you is simply uninteresting. Also the movie is trying to sell itself on being a "body count" movie, but that's not the case either as there are only six people here that are potential victims (they are completely in the middle of nowhere) and to be that doesn't say "body count" at all. That on top of the fact that there is hardly any gore just makes it all that much more of a frustrating movie experience.
The killer himself in the movie is kind of a cool concept and look but they hardly use the movie as a showcase to sell the killer to the audience. It takes a long time to show up on screen and even then you can hardly see what it looks like. When you are finally shown the killer in his cool snow outfit (think something a Eskimo might wear) you simply gave up caring a long time before that.
Overall I would say that "Cold Prey" is a good looking film, but that's about all it is. The director clearly understands how to make a movie, but unfortunately for us the viewer, he's not to good at making a slasher film. AVOID.
Rating - **
-Ed Demko
