Cold Prey 2
Directed by: Mats Sternberg Starring: Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik, Synopsis: NOTE: It is nigh on impossible to review Cold Prey 2 without giving away key information about the original movie, so, SPOILERS FOR COLD PREY AHEAD! Following on from the events of the first movie, Cold Prey 2 starts with the discovery of the lone survivor of the massacre at the abandoned hotel, on a desolate mountain road. Taken back to the local hospital (which is about to be closed down and has a skeleton staff), she recounts her story. The local sheriff and his deputies go to the abandoned hotel and find the bodies of her friends – and that of the “mountain man” killer - and bring them back to the hospital’s morgue...
Apart from one or two moments which push the boundaries of believability – even in a horror movie- a little too far, Cold Prey 2 is just about the perfect sequel to one of the strongest horror movies of last year. I’ve often wondered what happens to the survivor(s) of a horror movie – after the trauma of what they’ve seen and had to accomplish to survive, what happens to them next? Jannicke, the sole survivor of the first movie, is found; cold, in shock, covered in blood (“it’s not mine”, she says ominously) and carrying a bloodied pick-axe. Naturally, the police are initially sceptical of her story of a “mountain man” serial killer, but when they find the ravine with the bodies, they realize she’s telling the truth. What I loved about the early scenes is the way it reflects the whole first movie back on itself from the point of view of an outsider. There aren’t any flash-backs to what happened, just the physical evidence. Like it’s predecessor, Cold Prey 2 takes its time setting up the characters and location – the small hospital is due to shut down the next day, and only has one doctor and two nurses on shift, as well as two patients. We learn that nurse Camilla (Rovik) is taking a job in Oslo, much to the dismay of her boyfriend Ole, who hates cities. Meanwhile, the other nurse and the young blonde policeman are flirting rather sweetly with one another and the doctor and Camilla might have had a romantic past too. Of course, we soon learn that “mountain man” isn’t quite dead, and the medical team try to revive him – a scene which Jannicke walks in on and tries to stop – by this point, Jannicke is really starting to evoke the resolve of Ripley in Aliens. Whilst the movie goes some way to explain how the resurrection of Mountain Man (MM) might be possible, it’s still a huge leap of faith for the audience to take. Nevertheless, once MM is up and about, there is plenty of carnage to keep the viewer occupied! The violence is pretty shocking but never devolves into being overly explicit. It’ll come as no surprise as to who is most likely to end up as murder victims but by the time the killings start, Cold Prey 2 has gone out of its way to flesh out these characters as much as possible so you have real emotional investment in their fates (this is especially true of the young cop and nurse). Cold Prey 2, like its predecessor , is very slickly made with some stunning cinematography. The tone and pace of the movie shifts gears a number of times, even allowing the audience a moment of relief when the cavalry arrive – only to ramp up the tension even more soon afterwards. It builds on the mythos which topped and tailed the previous movie, giving an insight into why MM was abandoned by his parents in the first place. He remains an iconic figure throughout, never uttering a word. There are a few flaws with this movie, some of which may be intentional. Director Mats Sternberg and producer Roar Uthag (who directed the first part) know all the nooks and crannies of the slasher genre (this movie mirrors the sequel to John Carpenter’s Halloween, also set in a hospital with the surviving cast member of the original) so the so-called “flaws” could be them playing up to the slasher archetype. For example, MM has the same ability as Jurassic Park’s T-Rex of lumbering about one minute, tip-toeing silently the next, while sometimes characters make illogical choices (there’s a killer on the loose! Do you call the police, or your boyfriend first?). These are really minor niggles though and certainly didn’t stop me enjoying this immensely. Verdict: A great continuation of the original story, slickly made and again with great characterisation. 8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)
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