Adam Green’s FROZEN movie review by Mark Walters

Adam Green’s FROZEN movie review by Mark Walters

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Occasionally a film comes along which takes a rather simple scenario that any of us could potentially be in, and dissects the horrors that could come about as a result.  When Steven Spielberg gave us JAWS, he made something as simple as a shark in the ocean into a psychologically horrifying threat, and one that would forever be in the back of our minds any time we decided to go into the water.  Other filmmakers like George Romero explored a similar theme with zombie movies, and more recently films like Frank Darabont’s THE MIST (adapted from the Stephen King story) delved into man turning against man amidst the threat of unknown but deadly forces.  One of the most impactful independent films of late was a little movie called OPEN WATER, which revolved around a stranded couple in the ocean who are trying to survive as sharks circle them.  It was a taught thriller that took a simple situation, and showed us how horrifying it could potentially be.  The latest film to follow in that tradition is FROZEN, from director Adam Green (HATCHET).

FROZEN follows a trio of young adults – Dan (Kevin Zegers), his girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell), and Dan’s best friend Joe (Shawn Ashmore).  They’re enjoying a ski trip, though doing what they can to cut down on costs, even bribing the ski lift controller to let them on at a discount.  Dan and Parker seem moderately happy together, though Dan is a bit more willing to scam his way into fun that she is.  Joe is looking for a little romance, and hopes to find it on the slopes, but secretly wishes this trip was just him and his buddy Dan hanging out minus the girlfriend.  After already stretching their luck cheating the system, the trio push to take one last nighttime ride on the ski lift before everything shuts down.  Reluctantly, the bribed operator lets them on, only to be pulled away from his post afterward.  His relief doesn’t realize folks are still on the lift, and shuts everything down for the night.  Our trio at first thinks this is a momentary delay, but soon realizes the entire lift has been shut down, and then comes to the realization that they could be stuck up there for the better part of a week, until the lift reopens for the following weekend.  With freezing temperatures getting the better of them, they decide staying high above the ground isn’t going to be an option, and begin to explore possible ways of escaping… but time is definitely not on their side.

Some of my friends originally thought the premise of this film was stupid, wondering how this scenario could ever be possible, and others I knew seemed to think it would be an easy situation to escape.  FROZEN does a good job of explaining it all, providing a logical reason why our trio would end up where they are, and showing us in a very realistic fashion just how hard it would really be to get out of it.  Director Adam Green steps away from his previous storytelling style used in HATCHET, which followed examples set forth by all-too-familiar slasher films from the 1980’s, and instead takes us on a psychological journey into suspense and genuine fear, and one you’re not likely to soon forget.  There’s something truly terrifying about the idea of being in the middle of nowhere, when no one knows you’re there, and not knowing how (or if) you can survive.  You read stories about people who trek into the mountains, never to be heard from again, or are found later dead for any number of reasons.  To me, the most terrifying aspect of those folks is what those last few moments of their lives must have been like.  And it’s those aspects that Green latches on to here.  FROZEN isn’t a horror movie, but rather a psychological mind trip filled with horrifying elements.  Little things like going to the bathroom on yourself become character-damaging moments that define our protagonists and their mental state.  The film cycles through perils of hypothermia, frostbite, and of course man versus nature… the last of which is depicted in the worst way.  The ad campaigns state this film will do for skiing what JAWS did for swimming.  I’d say that’s true, though I’ve never actually been skiing, I can certainly imagine how this type of scenario would forever leave me with a sense of potential dread.  One thing is for sure, Adam Green has transcended himself as a director, taking a simplistic piece of storytelling like this, and doing so much with it.  In the hands of a weaker director, this could have fallen apart or been just plain laughable.  But Green never lets up, never gives the audience a chance to do anything but take this seriously.  High marks go to Emma Bell too, as this is her first big starring movie role, and she knocks it out of the park with a memorable and incredibly sympathetic performance.  This is the kind of natural acting that makes you see how an actor can prove themselves and instant star with the right material.  Shawn Ashmore shows he has acting chops far and above what was displayed in the X-MEN movies, where he ironically played Iceman.  There’s a humanity and realism to his portrayal here that keeps his character from becoming a cookie-cutter personality.  When you have this few characters to focus on, the stars have to be good, and these two are quite good indeed.  Kevin Zegers is perhaps the weakest link among the trio, though only in the sense that he’s a tad underdeveloped.  All in all, the three actors do a fine job conveying the intended reality of their frightening predicament.

FROZEN isn’t an experience I want to revisit very often, if ever for that matter, though that’s not to say it isn’t a good film.  In fact, it’s a brilliantly made piece of cinema.  Seeing Adam Green come into his own as a director to be reckoned with is a real treat.  I enjoyed HATCHET for an entirely different set of reasons, but FROZEN is a definitive step in the right direction for the auteur.  This film may be one of the hardest movies you’ve ever tried to watch, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a look.  You actually really should… if you dare.

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.