I never paid a lot of attention in school, especially when it came to geography. Until now, I only thought Norway was famous for its high GDP per capita (2nd in the world!) and for some pretty wicked death metal. Although it has already conquered economy and balls-to-the-wall metal, Norway has another feat to stick a flag into. Horror. After seeing Roar Uthaug’s ‘Fritt Vilt (Cold Prey)’, I’m quite positive that Norway has reinvented the slasher genre. Not only that, I’m now discovering that there are quite a few highly rated Nordic horror films that I’ve never even heard of. Why was I never taught of Norway’s violent horror endeavors in high school? Educational System my ass.

‘Cold Prey’s’ plot is like Frankenstein’s monster, if you will. It has the best parts of other horror films stitched into one. Five friends are driving in the snowy mountains in order to ski on uncharted territory and find the next big rush (similar to the women of ‘The Descent’). When one suffers a leg injury, they are forced to take shelter in an abandoned hotel, which, on the inside, feels almost as creepy as ‘The Shining’s’ star monument. The character development and presentation is like that of ‘Severance’, where you actually feel concerned for these friends and wish no harm on them. Take a troubled killer (ala ‘Friday the 13th’ or ‘Halloween’) with a penchant for pickaxes and bear traps and you’ve got yourself one hell of a slasher film.

The idea of seclusion should be credited as a cast member in ‘Cold Prey’ because it is used to its full potential. These people are stuck in a hotel that’s quite spacious and labyrinthine, whereas outside is nothing but a blizzard with miles of white earth and black sky. Whether they are relaxing in the lobby or trekking through the snow outside, they are still just a dot on a map. Thankfully, our characters are given logic (which seems to lack in most horror protagonists today). Even before the killer has made his presence known, they prepare to get back to their car through the harsh weather as opposed to ‘waiting out the storm’ or assuming ‘the cops will be looking for us’. After the killer strikes, they make logical attempts to get out (and sometimes back in) the hotel, but where can they go? This is the killer’s territory. Again, they’re just dots on his map.

The cast’s performances are exceptionally believable and their dialogue and mannerisms around one another would lead you to believe that they’re a real group of friends acting in a movie together. Technically, the film’s high points are the lighting and cinematography. Some of the shots in this film are gorgeous, where others are purposefully rugged and quick, capturing the specific moods of the film with great skill. Lighting and color schemes give the hotel a very foreboding but still welcoming look while it gives the characters a very pale-yet-still-dark tint. The movie’s soundtrack fits perfectly in the places it’s needed and uses the most apropos song during the end credits. The rest of the film features a beautiful score that compliments many of the film’s more touching/sentimental scenes as well as those plagued by terror and mayhem.

With hot Nordic women, a touch of gore, a simple but compelling storyline and characters that are smart enough to almost prevent their deaths; it’ll be a long winter before another slasher film snows out ‘Cold Prey’.

The Hidden Message: You cannot say the film’s (English) title without sounding like an Asian fan of Coldplay. Well’a stereotypical one, that is.