Cold Prey II (2008) Horror Slasher

Cold Prey II (2008) - Fritt vilt II in Norwegian this thrilling slasher film continues mere hours after the last film ended. The original Cold Prey  was surprisingly well done but seeing the history of sequels I have to say I feared the worst going into the second film. The original with its killer creation story built into it was well directed by Roar Uthaug and acted by the cast with lead Ingrid Bolso Berdal a real stand out, the action was tense and the situations presented were not way out there. When it comes to stalker /killer movies they can quickly go from good to bad with small script choices and the fear is always that in the pursuit of a few dollars suddenly your killer has some kind of supernatural powers and can't be killed. Then before you know it is its "Friday the 13th", parts 3 and on, and he is killing in outer space.
 Mats Stenberg in his directing debut, and from the looks of it his only project ever picks up shortly after the first film ended. Of course we don't know that yet instead we meet the cast of people who will be the hunted at the new location, a hospital. We have Camilla (Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik) and Ole (Kim Wifladt) he a search and rescue technician and she a doctor at the hospital in Stehotinn. They are in the midst of a sort of breakup, but not where she is thinking of taking a job further away and he is not committal about joining her. None of this will matter soon though, as Ole while driving out on his job almost hits Jannicke our sole survivor from Cold Prey. This is how we know it is not long after the events of the first film. She is in tough shape with exposure related problems and is brought back to the hospital to be cared for by Camilla. When the bodies of the other victims are brought into the hospitals morgue, and the body of the killer from the first film you can guess what happens next.
This second film directed by
  The film makes a leap,  partially reasonable and somewhat ridiculous at the same time to explain the return from the dead of the killer. First there is a reasonable argument that the cold slowed the killers heart so he appeared dead, then the warmth of the morgue allowed him to revive. The second part though involves the back story of the character, it goes that at birth the child was DOA but that amazingly after some time his heart magically jump started itself. This is wrapped in a paper of some kind of syndrome but really it is a lame attempt to create back story while also getting the killer back in action.
  Writer Thomas Moldestad as he did in the first film delivers a script that is tight and tense. If not for the silly rebirth of the killer you could say that this film is damn close to the first in the scenarios that play out. Since the killer does what he does it is, the basic stalk and kill of the first film is on display here. Instead of the abandoned ski lodge we place it in the hospital and instead of skiers we have patients and hospital staff. So what is different? Well the story of Jannicke who at first is pretty helpless as she recovers, but as the film goes on her fight, this time from a place of experience is what drives the film forward. What is great about her isn't that she is some kind of wrecking ball for the killer but more that her will to survive. She encompasses the competent and strong willed survivor we all hope we will be in such an extreme situation. Like Ripley in Alien she is a problem solving, strong woman who will fight back when it is called for. Since seeing "You're Next"  and its character Erin, this is another competent resourceful woman character and I have to say the horror genre needs more of them. Also this film does what a good sequel does it ups the body count a bit, and includes more action than the first. Many of the characters in the film are just fodder for the killer.
  So although the film plays out like a stalker slasher film, the character of Jannicke carries the action and again even though there is not a lot new in this film is entertaining all the way through. We do have the story of the killer though. Not quite willing to make the killer supernatural, Moldestad instead uses the fact that in the original the killer is defeated outside to help bring him back to life. This is Norway and its damn cold in these films. So suggesting that the killer's body temperature could of made his heart slow to the point that it could not be heard is a reasonable attempt. Unfortunately we also get a little back story on the killer, how when he was a baby thta he was stillborn and the doctors could not get him going with CPR. The after they had given up he suddenly jump started his own heart. It is a bit of a stretch and damn close to being ridiculous. Knowing that there is a third film in this series I anticipate the crossing over into camp at the very least.
  So if you want a solid and entertaining film where lots of people are stalked by an overly strong killer, half the time, the characters don't even know there is a killer, then watch Friday the 13th, oh wait no, Cold Prey II which is similar but not the same. You will have to read subtitles but I think the story is strong enough to recommend this film.

Cold Prey (2006) Horror Slasher

Cold Prey (2006) - This review is part of the Final Girl Film Club, and since there is a "final girl" who against stereotype is strong and competent, not a virgin and not the first to die, basically a final girl who is like Stacie Ponder it is appropriate to include this film in this series. Check out all her works at her Website Final Girl
***Lots of Spoilers*** ***No really I mean I break down the entire film so watch it before reading the review.***
Since this film is supposed to be a bit of a mystery slasher yet does a sort of poor job hiding its mystery it will be spoiled during this review. You have been warned. Is a solid small scale slasher film set in Norway where Five hikers looking for a shelter after one of them breaks a leg get more than they bargained for in the lodge they find.
The story and the identity of the killer were not a surprise. After the opening scenes it was pretty obvious who the killer was. What was interesting was the turn that reveals the trauma that created this killer. In the first scene a boy with a rather large birthmark around his eye is running from the lodge frantic to get away from someone. The birthmark makes him very distinctive and the simple fact that it exists tells the audience that this is someone to remember. He falls over a snow cliff and is stuck in the snow. The chaser who we never really see breaks snow from the cliff and buries the child as he desperately struggles to free himself. Okay already this description is a spoiler, but so obvious is this scene that know one could possibly not pick up on it. Inter cut with this during the credits are reports on the television of hikers disappearing and searches. This lets us know that a whole lot of people go missing in the area but it is attributed to the winter conditions.
It is 30 or so years later and the film introduces our modern day characters, Eirik (Tomas Alf Larsen), and his girlfriend Jannicke (Ingrid Bolso Berdal), Mikal (Endre Martin Midstigen) who is newly with girlfriend Ingunn (Viktoria Winge) and the fifth wheel is Morten Tobias (Rolf Kristian Larsen) who secretly pines for Jannicke but instead is the wise cracker of the group. Okay, not so secretly, but the two are not out in the open about their feelings either. They are driving on holiday to have a hike and ski adventure in Jotunheimen Norway. The small cast leads a US viewer to wonder how this could be a compelling slasher film. How high can the body count go with five people? They must introduce others later, right? Nope this is it, but surprisingly it is enough. Director and co writer Roar Uthaug creates a very tight tension filled little film. The isolation is built in as we watch the group climb the beautiful mountains of Norway, they reach the top and we see they are going to ski down into the bowl. Snowboarding they have a great day until Morten falls and breaks his leg. Again we get a nice change from the slasher formula when Jannicke takes control of the situation, she splints the leg and directs the group to find shelter. It is a relief that one of the guys whether competent or not, fails to step forward to try to be in control because of male role expectation in society.
When the group find the lodge they are so relieved and go about setting in to warm up and come up with a plan on how to get out of the mountains. It is a large place and if you were paying attention in the beginning of the film you know exactly where they are. They settle in and explore finding and starting the generator in the cellar, finding some alcohol to warm with and relieve Morten's pain. It is that point in the slasher film where the audience is being relaxed, getting to know characters and taking away the anticipation before quickly raising the tension again. Mikal and Ingunn head off to find a place to make out and enjoy each others company. They find a room and settle in for some nookie. As they make there way they find just enough disturbing things to set an edge for the audience. A burned out room, a bathroom which looks like it is either very dirty or in the past used as a slaughter house. A false scare prior to the real stuff just at the one third mark of the film. This is the setup, they all have drinks, find a journal for the lodge that has not been written in since the 70's. An image of the boy from the films start standing with his parents. The others mention the noise that Ingunn and Mikal were making in the cellar, "We weren't in the cellar."
Now anyone who has seen a horror slasher movie knows that having sex is the trope just before the killing starts and this film does not disappoint but again is very original in skewing the idea a bit. Ingunn is a virgin and stops Mikal from going too far. Down to her underwear she is enticing and he is good to go but she puts the breaks on and frustrates him. He doesn't know she is a virgin and is temporarily upset with the outcome of their foreplay calling her a cock tease he wanders back to the main room to drink his sexual frustrations away. Unlike traditional slasher trope in most cases this film does not have the bad kids who have sex be the first victims. That would be Jannicke and Eirik who have been together for quite a while and sleep together out near the fire. Instead the virginal Ingunn left alone in a more remote section of the lodge is destined to NOT be the Final Girl. The death scene is tightly executed and really tense. She is gone and the others won't notice for a while because it is bedtime, not until Mikal heads back to apologize the next morning, after he finds out the whole virgin thing from Jannicke. Eirik heads out into the snow to get the car and help. Jannicke clearly passes a keepsake to him so we will know if he made it out later or not if we see the little bangle. He find Ingunn dead outside but is whacked before he can do anything about it. Then there were three and nobody left has any idea anything is wrong. It is 50 minutes into the movie and about time for fireworks.
Jannicke and Makal are down in the cellar dealing with the generator while Morten is hobbling around upstairs wondering where everyone has got too. A lantern on in the back room of the cellar leads the duo to the fact that someone else is here. Noticing that some of the stuff from when the boy went missing they start to put the pieces together that the family in the photo had a horrible tragedy. They notice all the things that are around the place that do not fit with the idea that the lodge has been closed for 30 years. Who could have a collection of modern car keys in this abandon hut? People don't just leave their car keys behind. The two have a sense of urgency and the score of the film reflects it. It is strangely short lived as Jannicke heads off to smooth things over for Makal.  Makal heads up to find Morton at the same time. The blood on the floor of Ingunn's room sets the tension back up, there is a lot and it is in "a body has been dragged here" shape. Jannicke gets to the guys and brings them back to the room. They know something is very strange and this combined with the findings in the cellar and they know they have to go. Now the door opens and closes in the distance and they run to barricade themselves in a room. The plan is to wait for Eirik to bring help, but you know that won't last and Mikal eventually feels so guilty about leaving Ingunn alone that he leaves the room to go see if he can find her. This is a trope that is played out in an original way also where he has a really close call with the killer and then makes it back to the room. Now the killer knows where the three are hiding and although he could get in he stops short and puts the pressure on the survivors. Mikal abandons the other two leaving through the window but gets caught in a bear trap. It is a great scene where the two watch from the room window as Mikal gets killed across the way. Then the killer looks straight at them, this is so effective!
They know they have to get out but the feelings Jannicke has for Morton stop her from just leaving him. They do have to get a new hiding place and do. She is again in control as he collapses into a crying blob she is the one with the courage to create action. She searches around risking herself and finding skis, a shotgun and one shell and a sled. So of course the problem is executing an escape. They are going to try to lure the killer into a lockable room of the cellar and then make their escape. Things of course do not work out, but she sees the bangle she gave to Eirik and knows no help is on the way. Eirik is half dead on the floor and a bit delirious. He can't walk so is not going anywhere. The plan doesn't work as expect. Do they ever?
The final battle is a very good tense sequence in which our final girl does what is necessary to survive. Overall this film is surprisingly good. What are normally cliche in a slasher movie are wonderfully original in execution. When the final reveal comes you will not be shocked by who the killer is but the film makers knew this so instead there is a flashback to the inciting incident that made him a killer. It is a pretty decent turn.