Cold Prey (2006) – Film Review

Director: Roar Uthaug
Cast: Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Viktoria Winge
Certificate:

By Roger Crow

I’ve just had to stop my disc of Cold Prey because I wanted to find out how long was left in what must be one of the most boring thrillers I’ve seen this decade.

The answer? One hour and seven minutes.

So far, I’ve watched a group of rather likeable Norwegians head off on a snowboarding trip. They climb a mountain, marvel at the incredible scenery, and then ski back down. Naturally, one of them has an accident – a plot twist so predictable you could see it from space.

One couple is hopelessly in love, another is struggling with their relationship, and I’m struggling with the idea of watching the rest of the film.

Eventually they arrive at an apparently deserted mountain hotel. One couple discovers a bathroom so filthy that I was more concerned about giving it a thorough clean than anything happening in the story. At this point I was 31 minutes and three seconds into the film.

“Undeniably striking”

Please pray for me.

Eventually – and inevitably – one of the group’s most attractive members is attacked by the equally inevitable masked serial killer, with predictably brutal consequences. From there, Cold Prey settles into familiar slasher territory as the killer picks off the remaining characters one by one.

Although the first two-thirds move at a glacial pace, with very little of note actually happening, the final act is a considerable improvement. The inevitable showdown between the last survivor and the masked killer takes place against a spectacular yet deadly mountain backdrop, making excellent use of the icy environment.

Does it make up for everything that came before?

No, not really.

However, if you’re willing to sit through a very generic slasher thriller set against an undeniably striking Norwegian landscape, Cold Prey may still be worth a look.

“Pleasant surprise”

It’s a shame I didn’t enjoy it more because the cast acquit themselves well, and I do have a soft spot for Norwegian thrillers. They certainly keep me focused on the subtitles. Unfortunately, this one desperately needed to pick up the pace much earlier.

If there’s one pleasant surprise, aside from the fact this 20-year-old thriller looks like it was shot yesterday, it’s that I actually found myself feeling some sympathy for the antagonist in the closing minutes.

That’s one twist I genuinely didn’t see coming.

Unlike most of the rest of the film.

Roger Crow( Writer )

Adopted Yorkshireman Roger Crow developed a passion for film and TV in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been a published film and TV reviewer since the 1990s; a world travel and restaurant critic since the noughties, and for the past decade has assessed the pros and cons of live gigs and theatre productions around the UK. His ideal day would involve reviewing a performance of Bat Out of Hell, followed by a Pad Thai while being serenaded by Texas on a cruise around Europe.
crowsfeat.com; nostalgiahhh film podcast

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