Frozen Frights
By on Sep 5, 2012
Is there anything better than a horror flick set in an absolutely freezing environment? In my opinion, not much. If you agree, you’ll be thrilled with this week’s Chiller TV premiere – Lance Kawas and Matt Cantu’s Silent Scream. Set in the frozen Michigan winter, the film turns a simple weekend retreat into a very cold and frightening experience. For more freezing frights, check out our list below of more horror films set in cold locations. What’s your favorite?
FROZEN (2010)
Adam Green’s fantastic little 2010 indie horror Frozen stars Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore, and Emma Bell in an environment that’s just about as unforgiving as you could possibly find. Stuck on a ski lift in the middle of a now-empty resort with hungry wolves licking their chops below, the three friends try to find a way out of the situation. I shouldn’t even have to tell you that (Spoiler Alert!) they’re not all going to make it.
DEAD SNOW (2009)
Tommy Wirkola’s 2009 Norwegian zom-com Dead Snow not only includes a whole lot of snow, but it also includes killer undead Nazi zombies. And, really, what more can you ask for in a zombie film, right? Frozen Nazi pops!
THE SHINING (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic The Shining is one of the quintessential cold-location films. The Torrance family thinks their stint as winter caretakers of the Overlook Hotel is going to make for a nice, relaxing season in a gorgeous place. Well, any horror fan worth their salt knows how that idea turned out. Jackcicle!
LET ME IN (2010)
The cold weather and gorgeous sweeping vistas of Los Alamos, New Mexico in Matt Reeves’ Let Me In is one of the film’s most impressive features. It not only makes the flick look beautiful, but it adds to the isolation and tension throughout. I could easily have included the original Swedish version Let the Right One In as well. They’re both fantastic movies set in freezing cold places.
MISERY (1990)
If it wasn’t for the freezing snow and ice in Rob Reiner’s Misery, there likely wouldn’t even be a movie. Paul Sheldon would have made it back down from Silver Creek and into Los Angeles without crashing his car and landing in the care of psycho-nurse Annie Wilkes. The snow covered roads and impassable mountain stretches in the film feel like an additional character – just another thing keeping Sheldon trapped.
RAVENOUS (1999)
Antonia Bird’s highly underrated 1999 film Ravenous takes its cues from the real-life stories of Alferd Packer and The Donner Party, but put clearly puts its own stand on the stranded-in-the-freezing-cold-so-we-have-to-eat-each-other subgenre. If you’ve never seen Ravenous, it’s time to dig it. Pun intended.
THE THING (1982)
John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi horror classic The Thing is easily the most recognizable cold weather horror film of all time. It is the quintessential freezing fright and one that deserves every single accolade its received over the past few decades. If you think I’m talking about the terrible “prequel” released in 2011, think again. That flick will just leave you… cold.
