REASONS TO WATCH – COLD PREY I & II
FRIT VILT
Norway’s answer to the isolated group meets crazed killer, but with an attention to story and subtext that transforms this film from a stalk and slash into a poiniant and tense horror film. It doesn’t rely on sex, titilation or gruesome violence to lure in and fixate the audience. Instead surpeb acting and pace make the charcters (a group of twenty-something snowboarders, who take refuge in an abandoned ski-lodge) real people rather than maniac fodder. Add to this the bleak yet beautiful frozen landscape of Norway’s mountains and you have a visual feast of a film, were you actually give a crap about the people involved.
Directly translated from Norwegian Frit Vilt means Cold Prey, but reffers to a concept akin to Wild Game (as in hunting).
FRIT VILT 2
The Sequel picks up literaly moments after the first film ends, widening the isolated winter world to a nearby mountain town; specifically it’s modest hospital/clinic.It’s more of the same really, relying on long periods of suspense rather than brutal slaying to create the tension as the story evolves. We get a few glimpses into the dark past of this small town and it’s connection to the pick-axe wielding villain, as well as more on the villain himself.
If it’s a gorefest you’re after, then look to th Americans, these are closer to that wonderful fusion of Horror-Thriller. The people involved in making these films put visible effort into them, making them films that happen to be horror-films, which is part of their success.
Watch on a cold dark night, back-to-back!
With a third film being released shortly, Frit Vilt has established itself as one of the hallmarks in international horror. Can’t wait for the third film!