Cold Prey (Fritt vilt I & II)

[pro-bassoonist]

Roar Uthaug's Fritt vilt (2006) and Mats Stenberg's Fritt vilt II (2008) have received a preliminary release date for the Gallic markets: January 5, 2010.

Variety:

A hit last year in its native Norway, Roar Uthaug's debut feature is a conventional but nicely handled slasher pic that makes good use of spectacular mountain range locations. Widescreen lensing format and above-average perfs add a touch of class to the tale of five snowboarders who take shelter in the wrong mysteriously abandoned (or is it?) ski lodge. Offshore sales should be brisk.

Genial, boyish Tobias (Rolf Kristian Larsen) is the lone stag member of a youthful party otherwise comprising two couples, recently-conjoined horndoggies Mikael (Endre Martin Midtstigen) and Ingunn (Viktoria Winge), plus longer-established duo Jannicke (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) and Eirik (Tomas Alf Larsen). Escaping resort crowds in favor of pristine backcountry, their athletic fun is halted when Tobias breaks a leg. They retreat to a shuttered nearby lodge that appears deserted. Alas, somebody still lives here -- and he's got an axe. Likeable characters are given more personality than the usual genre cannon fodder, and, while basic premise is routine, pic orchestrates its scares with brute effectiveness. The only letdown is the killer himself, a generic "Halloween"-y faceless ghoul in goggles and heavy winter wear. Production values are polished.

Camera (color, Super 16-to-35mm), Daniel Voldheim; editor, Jon Endre Merk; music, Magnus Beite. Reviewed at Slamdance Film Festival (21+ Film Series), Jan. 21, 2007. Running time: 93 MIN.

Lisa Fore:

As a snow-bound spin on sequel classics like Aliens and Halloween 2, Norway's fantastic follow-up Fritt Vilt II concerns itself with the aftermath of Jannicke's nightmare at the abandoned hotel in the Jotunheimen Mountains where she and her friends found shelter after a snowboarding accident.

The story opens in a small struggling hospital where we meet the next batch of victims to become terrorized by "the mad Dane," Camille (Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik), Herman (Fridtjov Såheim) and Audhild (Johanna Mørck) as the staff prepares to close their clinic down. Camille's boyfriend, Ole (Mats Eldøen) stops in and instead of having a lover's chat the couple gets in a spat about Camille's plans to take up a medical residence opportunity in another town. Their argument is waylaid as Ole (apparently a member of the local rescue team) gets a recovery call about an abandoned SUV on the side of the road near the Jotunheimen. Ole heads out and soon finds the snow-covered vehicle and on his way back to grab a tow, he nearly avoids running down a hooded figure standing in the middle of the road.

Said figure turns out to be Jannicke (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) and Ole rushes the poor delirious woman back to the clinic. Help turns into a huge hindrance as after relaying her story, the staff and police quietly conclude that she's completely insane and decide to load her up with meds before they can decide what to do with her. Just when they feel everything is under control, another call comes in and Jannicke seems like a dream patient compared to the nightmare that's about to explode through their quiet halls.

While the cinematography isn't as crisp and 'wintery' as it's predecessor, Fritt Vilt II as a story and overall film is definitely as tight and even more suspenseful than the first. The pace is ruthless and focused, which shows Stenberg's brilliant control over the material. No silicone distractions, no goofy side-kicks or time consuming comedy relief that are the standard fare of slasher films - it's just balls-out terror.

Ingrid Bolsø Berdal is a powerful player as she wonderfully sustains the psychological baggage carried over from the end of Fritt Vilt. Naturally darkened by her original traumatic experiences, her optimistic nature gives over to a wonderfully dark and Aliens-Ripley-esque persona of paranoia and amazing primal survival that struggles to keep her and those she's attempting to save, ahead of our gigantic villain, Geir Olav Brath (Robert Follin). They might do a lot of screaming, but the women in this film are a definite force to be reckoned with.

Fritt Vilt II is a perfect sequel that's calls for an instant replay, and is just plain slasher-ific.

Pro-B