Based on true life events (and taking the typical liberties you would expect when a movie proclaims this), The Frozen Ground is an atmospheric and tense account of the quest to end serial killer Robert Hansen's 13 year reign of terror on the streets of Anchorage, Alaska. When teenage prostitute Cindy Paulsen (Vanessa Hudgens) escapes Hansen's (John Cusack) grasp, she finds her story that he kidnapped and raped her falling on deaf ears. The only person who believes her is State Trooper Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage), already investigating a string of missing persons case connected to the killer. While Halcombe tries to mount enough evidence against Hansen to secure a conviction, it becomes clear that Cindy's life is still in danger.
The feature debut from writer/director Scott Walker, wastes no time putting the audience in the middle of the action, and continues on with a slow, methodical pace. He's crafted an effective thriller here, the stark landscape of Alaska being the perfect backdrop for the clinical approach to the story, with the central performances being some of the best aspects of the film. Cusack is fantastic here, portraying Hansen as a quiet, unassuming family man one minute, then a cold, calculating monster the next. He imbues the role with an impressive degree of menace, making for a truly compelling villain. Nicolas Cage goes down the restrained route, leaving his usual over the top persona at the door, and when Hansen and Halcombe finally meet, the two play off each other perfectly, leading to some of the best scenes in the movie. But the real surprise here is Hudgens, playing a role a million miles away from High School Musical. She throws herself into the character of Cindy, portraying something more than the usual victim, her initial vulnerability giving way to a growing inner strength.
The film is let down as the story progresses, certain elements introduced that feel out of place in the overall narrative. An element of danger introduced in the third act fizzles out pretty much as soon as its introduced, and it's reason for being in the movie erased by the next scene, making it superfluous in the grand scheme of things. The story also treads very familiar ground at times, containing any number of cliches we have seen time and time again.
Not without it's flaws, The Frozen Ground is a solid thriller, helped by some very fine performances from its central cast.
The feature debut from writer/director Scott Walker, wastes no time putting the audience in the middle of the action, and continues on with a slow, methodical pace. He's crafted an effective thriller here, the stark landscape of Alaska being the perfect backdrop for the clinical approach to the story, with the central performances being some of the best aspects of the film. Cusack is fantastic here, portraying Hansen as a quiet, unassuming family man one minute, then a cold, calculating monster the next. He imbues the role with an impressive degree of menace, making for a truly compelling villain. Nicolas Cage goes down the restrained route, leaving his usual over the top persona at the door, and when Hansen and Halcombe finally meet, the two play off each other perfectly, leading to some of the best scenes in the movie. But the real surprise here is Hudgens, playing a role a million miles away from High School Musical. She throws herself into the character of Cindy, portraying something more than the usual victim, her initial vulnerability giving way to a growing inner strength.
The film is let down as the story progresses, certain elements introduced that feel out of place in the overall narrative. An element of danger introduced in the third act fizzles out pretty much as soon as its introduced, and it's reason for being in the movie erased by the next scene, making it superfluous in the grand scheme of things. The story also treads very familiar ground at times, containing any number of cliches we have seen time and time again.
Not without it's flaws, The Frozen Ground is a solid thriller, helped by some very fine performances from its central cast.
