Singles Ski

Have you ever been on a ski lift going up a mountain and it inexplicably stops halfway up? Well, if never is the answer so this latest horror movie from director Adam Green, “Frozen”, perhaps could inspire you with the fear and dread effect of such a situation. The story follows three friends, Parker (Supernatrual’s Emma Bell), Dan (Kevin Zegers of “Dawn of the Dead” and “Transamerica”) and Lynch (Shawn Ashmore of “X-Men” trilogy) as they decide to hit the slopes one last time by boarding the chair lift. Being regulars at the ski mountain, they decided it was not worth paying the full admission fees and asked Parker to flirt with the chairlift operator so that they would have a discount. The operator relented and let them board the chairlift for the last time before closing. However, due to a mishap, the chairlift was shut down part way up the mountain, the lights begin shutting off and as the mountain goes dark with the setting sun, the three skiers soon realize with growing panic that they’ve been left behind dangling high off the ground with no way down. With the resort closed until the following weekend and frostbite and hypothermia already setting in, the trio is forced to take desperate measures to escape off the mountain before they freeze to death. Once they make their move, they discover with horror that they have much more to fear than just the frigid cold. As they combat unexpected obstacles, they start to question if their will to survive is strong enough to overcome the worst ways to die?
As a single-setting film – especially horror film like this one – is pretty rough to work out because the narrative and dialog have to be solid enough to carry the film since the camera really has no other place to go. If this film doesn’t succeed by having solid interaction between the only three characters, then it will fail to hold the audience’s interest and eventually become another gimmicky horror product. The style that demonstrated here is also easy to compare with Aussie chiller “Open Water”, while the scenario is shifted from the shark-infested sea to the snow-capped mountains. But “Frozen” is in fact a better movie which takes that similar situation simply to another level.# While the story is straightforwardly simple but Green certainly knows how to infuse intensity through the 89 jiffy minutes of the film. And it’s really utterly gripping in some scenes, playing on the irrational fear of humans especially those suffering from acrophobia (fear of heights).

# Each major chilling and suspenseful scene also toys with our expectations of the three onscreen impending fate. The scare factor here is what we don’t physically experience but psychologically endure. Just accept it, 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.

# Despite the outwardly cost effective setup, the cinematography is effectively captivating, the editing is quite clear-cut and the score manages to keep you on the edge of your seat.

# Once the survival scenario does kick in, it was well heeled by sense of logic and tension also the nastiness and some genuine surprises.

# The snow and the landscape provide the perfect backdrop for the developments between the characters, while also providing an additional danger.# Emma Bell, in her first big starring movie role, does a fine job conveying the intended reality of her frightening quandary. Her emotional response feels genuine without being overdone.

# Shawn Ashmore proves he has acting chops far and beyond what was displayed in the “X-Men” movies, where he ironically played ‘Iceman’. You can easily see yourself in his or the trio situations and probably act the same way.

# Kevin Zegers’ character is seemingly a tad underdeveloped here which later made him perhaps the weakest link among the trio.

# Some lengthy dull dialogues fill the gaps in between suspenseful chapters nevertheless also quite make us question the runtime necessity.

Overall score: 7/10 (A brutal B-horror movie based on crazy concept which in fact is quite entertaining and gripping)