Title: The Frozen Ground (2013)

Director: Scott Walker (Feature Debut)

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Vanessa Hudgens, John Cusack, Dean Norris, Curtis Jackson, Radha Mitchell

Plot: Based on a true story. Alaskan Trooper Jack Halcombe (Cage) is about to move on with his life until he gets caught up in an investigation involving prostitute Cindy Paulson (Hudgens) who has escaped an horrific abduction and murder attempt at the hands of potential serial killer and seemingly normal family man Robert Hansen (Cusack).

“He stalks them like his next trophy animal”

Review by Eddie on 30/01/2014

You will learn a couple if things from watching The Frozen Ground, a few of them being in no particular order – first time director Scott Walker certainly loves his helicopter shots with Around 5 – 10 minutes of total screen time seemingly dedicated to them, poor old Vanessa Hudgens is hellbent on shedding her Disney image and has a case of the try hards and the actual movie of this horrific true life story could of been a whole lot better.

The Frozen Ground had a decent sized budget and an intriguing cast so it’s strange that the whole affair feels so cheap and nasty. Releasing direct to dvd here in Australia and barely making a ripple any where else in the world, it’s not hard to see why the movie failed to connect or find an audience. To go along with this cheap overall feel the central characters in the piece in no way engage any audience spite, connection or affection. Cage is cold as trooper Jack, Hudgens misses the mark badly with her tough luck hooker Cindy and Cusack, while having some moments as creepy Robert is in the end a stock standard movie killer. Other supporting characters such as Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris and an atrocious 50 Cent as the worst screen pimp in recent memory don’t ad anything to proceedings either.

The failings of the central actors in the movie go hand in hand with the failings of the movie to capitalise in a narrative term on the real life case. Great serial killer/investigation procedurals make the audience feel apart of the discovery and detective work but Frozen Ground never even attempts to really engage this. Too much of the movie focuses on the interaction between Jack and Cindy and not near enough time spent on any of the mystery that was once prevalent in the case. More time spent on this and one could see just how tense and involving the film could of been.

It’s a shame that first time director Walker didn’t get this movie out of first gear as it’s clear he has a strong passion for the horrific and interesting real life story but that does not make a good film. There are small moments of the film that suggest somewhere there was a Zodiac like movie to be made but the finished product got about what it deserved, an appearance and eventual disappearance like frozen ice in the sun.

2 Hank’s out of 5