Best friends Kevin Zegers and Shawn Ashmore, and Zegers’ girlfriend Emma Bell have just finished a day of skiing but bribe the ski lift operator into letting them go for one more run. Unfortunately, by the time they are ready to go back, a change of shift has resulted in them being forgotten about, suspended in mid-air. It’s Sunday night, and the resort has now closed for the week. Oopsy. Oh, and look, a pack of wolves is there to greet them down below, so at least they aren’t all alone. Meanwhile, the cold is well and truly setting in.
If you watch this flick looking at the plot mechanics, you’re not likely to get into the film much, and might find it quite contrived. However, this is one of the rare occasions where I was too caught up in the emotions and visceral impact the film was having on me that I didn’t notice any real problems until after the film was over and I could reflect. Director Adam Green and his cast do their damn jobs so well that it doesn’t really matter until it’s too late. That’s what a good filmmaker (and cast) should do with a less than perfect screenplay, sell it as better than it is (Odd that Green also wrote the screenplay, but nevermind).
I’m not sure how much replay value this flick has, but on first viewing, I was gripped, horrified, moved, repulsed, and entertained more than most horror flicks of late. One character’s decision to leave the confines of the ski lift results in the most painful and wince-inducing moment in any film I’ve seen in a long time. And the aftermath gets even more painful. I must admit, though, that I kinda wished the other two characters would follow suit to turn the film into the blackest comedy of all-time. But then, I’m a sick puppy.
I actually like the character dynamics here. A boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend scenario is a good one, especially when the best friend seems jealous and feels like a third wheel. The film focuses mostly on the relationship between the girlfriend and the best friend, and that is the correct way to go because it has the most bite to it, and the least conventional. The characters may not be anything amazingly fascinating, but they’re relatable, and thus you care about them more than the twerps in most horror films. In addition to that aforementioned grisly scene, other moments stand out. Whether it’s learning that wolves are scared of pink snowboards, or Ashmore’s possibly ill-advised and extremely tense attempt to go from lift to lift, with the wolves waiting to pounce on his meaty corpse should he fall.
I have to say that what really sells the film, are the cinematography by Will Barratt, and sound FX. Having the three characters illuminated but everything around them is scarily dark and unlit- genius. Green is also seemingly aware that the quietness of the dead of night is truly eerie. Ever noticed that? It truly sounds dead. The sounds of the ravenous wolves in attack mode is extremely disturbing, and even if you’re compelled to look away as I did, you’ve still got to contend with those revolting sounds. Those are some seriously ravenous wolves right there.
I won’t deny that the film has its flaws, for instance the characters look way too healthy. Frostbite is spoken of, but they don’t look especially ill to me. And whilst the film would be dull if there was no dialogue, these characters seem way too chatty for the situation they are in. I also felt that one character’s behaviour towards the end was not only awfully damn convenient, but I wondered why they didn’t allow that to happen earlier in the film.
OVERALL SUMMARY
I ended up quite affected by this film. It may not reinvent the wheel and may not bear close to scrutiny, but it’s a simple tale well-told and quite harrowing stuff.
