Sangue Frio

Well, here I am, start to the week, work finished, feet up and so I fancied watching something online. Cold Meat came up unexpectedly, and unexpectedly I quite liked the premise of the film.

The opening scenes had my attention mostly due to the location and diner type feel (those diners that seem to look like bigger than average Trailer Units). The acting is good and when there is interaction it feels so in a not unnatural way which is always a plus for me in movies such as this.

Anyway, as other reviews have said, there are plenty of twists and turns so it will keep one's attention and interest. The acting between the two leads is good and you can see the effort they have put into portraying their respective characters.

I think movie lovers will enjoy this is probably my overall verdict.

I understand this was filmed in a short time but I have to say the film is well made, enjoyed the lighting, cinematography, and editing.

This little indie movie does a decent job of combining certain popular psych thriller / horror tropes. The only two I'll list for fear of giving too much away are the use of isolated settings - in this case the first trope is Colorado Rockies just outside a tiny town during a blizzard. The second trope is the indomitable human will to survive the most unforgiving situations.

With that, enter main character David - an apparently mild mannered smallish 30 something guy just trying to get home in the early hours of a massive snow storm. Then enter pretty waitress in the only diner for miles that is trying to serve pie to David because the kitchen is otherwise closed. Then enter drunk and large boyfriend of said waitress who decides to smack her around in front of smallish David.

From the diner, we will eventually get back on those mountain roads, into an ever worsening and rather unpredictable storm. A storm that will prove to be the backdrop and indeed a growling character in itself as the two main characters fight to survive.

My main criticism of the movie will be the last 20 minutes. Without saying more substantively, I believe Directors missed an opportunity to make a much better and more horrifying movie. Instead we were left with a sudden and flat ending.

The acting was solid. The sets and cinematography are quite well done. But as often happens in B-land, the movie sputtered out.

This lean 90min two person trapped in a car set up is well acted by the two leads, has an unexpected twist at the end of the first act and is well designed, despite its low budget,in the unforgiving, harsh snowstorm outside the car.

Some will find it needlessly talky throughtout it's, short, run time about the psychology of what drives 'David' to do what he does ,I however, found this interesting and added adds character and depth to this troubled mind.

Only the last five minutes let the film down with the appearance of a possible spirit in the forest/Wending that haunts the nightmares of David suddenly becoming'real' , this isn't a monster movie made real but more the'monsters' within us that drive us.

It felt cheap and tacked on!

I'm a sucker for low budget, few characters, isolation films. They can be hit or miss but I appreciated this one. I suggest going in blind and roll with it. It has its faults, a few minor things I would have changed/added but the acting was good, dialog was well written, and had some good use of timeline creativity. I don't want to say anymore more because not really knowing was a key pro for me. It's more of an watch alone for horror fans. I wouldn't play it for a friend movie night. It's no blockbuster but overall I was kept interested.

Also, props to the Downton Abbey actor, he has more range than I would have given him credit for.

The extreme cold is a very important element in the construction of some Suspense and Horror narratives. It contributes to increasing the tension that usually surrounds the characters. The feeling of weakness in the face of nature, the risk of hypothermia, the need for a shelter or source of heat to keep us warm and the hunger that increases.

With what was mentioned above, it is easy to remember some classic productions. In The Enigma of Another World (1982), scientists face the cold of Antarctica and have to deal with an unknown creature that takes the form of their victims. In The Shining (1980), Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) needs to stay with his family in a hotel full of secrets during a harsh winter.

David (Allen Leech) ends up crashing his car into a ravine and, surrounded by snow, is unable to get out of there. As the snowfall increases, the situation worsens and the man is forced to wait for the weather to improve. However, he is not alone. You will have to face this situation with another person. At this point, we get to know the personalities and characteristics of the characters better.

Another feature of the film is creating a plot that can be sustained in a confined space. The interior of the vehicle will be the stage for two people in a gradual state of fear, distress and search for survival. Whether through dialogue waging psychological warfare, or through desperate measures to find an escape, time is running out and solutions are difficult to come by. And in this environment, everything fits together as a resource to survive. Knife, car heater, numbing liquid, duct tape.

As time progresses and the chances of survival decrease, the two characters fight a battle that reveals more details about each person's personality. Scenes alternating between reality or even representing an illusory/dreamlike moment make us more aware of the true motives and nature of the characters.

As if all the dangers of the extreme cold and the struggle between both characters were not enough, a strange creature starts to haunt the car. If the viewer paid attention to the narration at the beginning of the film, they will better understand the meaning of such a creature.

Of course, certain moments in the film receive a metaphorical meaning, but it is up to the viewer to better understand where the metaphors fit. As one of the characters in the film said: 'the blizzard is still one of the things you should least worry about if you manage to get out of here'.

Watch it on a very cold day, preferably.