Short and sweet, no spoilers.
Actually...I felt it was between 4 and 5 but rounded up.
This is a very average independent, low budget film. The overall bent of the characters being picked off one by one is not new, but the plot itself is a new take on an old trope. Thankfully, the acting is average to slightly above, so at least it's (a little) "believable." We get no subtext or history on the characters, so what you see is what you get, which is very little so there is no real development or attachment to anyone except what is formed during the movie. I would compare the group of geohunters to their own "Breakfast Club," since each one is a cliché. That's not a bad thing, only an observation.
The direction, cinematography, script...all average to above average. There are some good moments in the cinematography, as the snowy (and legitimately cold) landscape offers some great opportunities. The story and script are the worst offenders, as the story content is at times sickeningly cliche (eg "love" interests, "speeches")
Re: parental content:
- no sex or nudity
- very little profanity. It's there but not gratuitous
- the directors include violence that might otherwise be gory but for the relatively bad CGI fx. There are a couple of practical fx scenes, but for the most part the blood and "gore" are all digital...and not very well done "digital" at that
- I suppose some scenes could be considered intense, but for the most part the intensity comes with the killings.
Overall, it's a very "meh" film. I don't regret watching it, but I wished it had been more. Small budgets don't mean a movie is damned from fx but this could have been a really fun, bloody, gory slasher had there been a little cash behind it. Don't go out of your way to watch this, but if you find it on late at night, it will kill the time.
It should be noted...it's a bit slow. And by slow, I mean there are multiple areas where the pace lags behind what the viewer wishes.
Hated the end.
