The Frozen Ground

There's only one type of movies that I personally appreciate even more than dark & disturbing horror films, and those are factual thrillers based on real-life serial killers. The reasons for this are simple; the disturbed minds of actual maniacs are often far more engrossing than anything scriptwriters could come up with and these films are almost automatically suspenseful & dramatic because you know it involved the suffering of real victims and their families. Some of the most harrowing and unpleasant films ever made are inspired by real serial killers, including "Henry: Portrait of a serial killer", "The Honeymoon Killers", "10 Rillington Place" and "The Tenderness of Wolves". Ever since I found out of its existence I wanted to see "The Frozen Ground" because this is also based on one of the most depraved killers in American history. Robert C. Hansen raped and murdered approximately 30 women in Alaska from the seventies until the early eighties. One of Hansen's peculiar trademarks included that he often took the girls to remote forestry locations, where he set them free and hunted them down like game. Debuting writer/director Scott Walker chose to stick very close to the facts, and wisely so. The events as they occurred are terrifying enough already and don't need any sensational twists or additional sub plots. "The Frozen Ground" begins with the discovery of a handcuffed and severely traumatized young girl named Cindy Paulson. Her escape and testimonies eventually led to Hansen's conviction, but the film specifically depicts that it took a frustratingly long time before the Alaska State Troopers could arrest him. In spite of several run-ins with the law before, Robert Hansen was considered a respectable citizen of Anchorage, with a lovely wife and two sons, while his victims were merely lewd girls.

"The Frozen Ground" isn't a very spectacular film, but it thrives on genuine tension and superior acting performances. The tension primarily comes from the facts, but also from the uniquely desolate Alaskan filming locations and weather conditions. I visited Alaska some years ago, including Anchorage and Seward, and – depending on the circumstances – it is either the most beautiful or the most sinister place on earth. In this case, it's sinister of course. For a debuting and inexperienced director like Scott Walker it also must have been amazing to be able to work with Nicolas Cage and John Cusack. Regardless of what anyone says, I still rank Cage among the greatest actors currently active, and his performance here is very subtle and professional. Even more impressive is Vanessa Hudgens' performance as the escaped victim Cindy Paulson. I never heard about Hudgens before, but apparently she's a former Disney Club starlet, so good for her that she demonstrates a wider range of talent. Perhaps the absolute most praiseworthy role comes from John Cusack. It's never easy to depict a serial killer but Cusack does it exactly right, as his performance of Robert Hansen effectively balances between intimidating and pitiable. The end credit bring a respectable tribute to the victims, that they may not be forgotten.

I have been interested in serial killers for some time now and I am familiar with the real story upon which the movie is based.

Although Cage and Cusack have starred in some sub par movies over the last few years, they are both quite talented and give excellent performances in this effort. However, the real star of the film, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, is Hudgens, who makes her character look very real and believable.

Although the plot has been heavily misused in other films in the past and is not in itself very original, this is not your typical serial- killer movie. The movie manages to be compelling without going over the top with too much gory details. The atmosphere it creates is very authentic - it really takes you back 30 years ago in Alaska, when these gruesome events unfolded.

Given his freakish performance, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Cusack was a sociopathic serial killer. Given his performance on Twitter as of late, it certainly seems to fit.

Decent flick-not sure what Cage's deal has been the last 20 or so years, but this is one of the rarities in the last few decades-solid acting with a believable delivery.

The Frozen Ground tells the chilling story of a aerial killer in Alaska, who targeted young women, but let one slip.

It's an incredibly dark, sombre film, with an intensely bleak tone from start to finish. It's pretty good, it lacks some of the subtleties that you may have hoped would be here, however it's there to tell a story, and it gets the job done.

Not often can I stick with a film starring Nicholas Cage, I'm not really a fan of his, or the roles that be tends to take, but credit where it's due, he's pretty good here, it's a subtle performance, he's better than most of the other cast.

Very gritty, it needed a few lighter moments to have made it work better.

A decent watch, 6/10.

Based on actual events, an Alaskan State Trooper tracks down a serial rapist and murder, Robert Hansen who manages to avoid justice for over a decade.

With Nicholas Cage, John Cusack and Vanessa Hudgens, Director Scott Walker has a heavy weight line up to help bring the events to life. While the wintry backdrop and cinematography illustrate a chilling environment, the story somewhat lacks bite. Oscar winner, Cage delivers an acceptable performance while Cusack, who dons the more challenging serial killer hat, makes an admirable effort. The standout performance is of Vanessa Hudgens who portrays a teenage prostitute that managed to escape Hansen's clutches.

The Frozen Ground is an interesting film and worth watching if you're in the mood for a thrilling bio-drama however it won't win any awards and certainly won't be a part of your 'must see' collection.