User reviews

I first saw this in 2007 on a dvd which I own.

This movie raised my curiosity since it was part of FrightFest n there were n are many glowing reviews.

Revisited it recently.

Most of us do love horror films set in a snowy backdrop n this movie managed to capture the beautiful mountains of Norway splendidly.

The disappointment is that the kills are few, too quick n they are not gory or gruesome enough but still somehow I enjoyed the movie.

The killer's story is revealed in the end and it is a very poignant one.

In the movie Blood Runs Cold I have complained how the killer is able to see thru those glasses n costume was beyond me. In this movie too I am surprised how the killer manges to see n out run the victims.

The lead actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal reminded me of Charlize Theron.

While snowboarding in the ice mountains with Jannicke (Ingrid Bolse Berdal), her boyfriend Eirik (Tomas Alf Larsen), Mikail (Enfre Martin Midtistigen) and his girlfriend Ingunn (Viktoria Winge), Morten Tobias (Rolf Kristian Larsen) has an accident and breaks his leg. His friends seek shelter to spend the cold night and they find an abandoned hotel in the middle of nowhere. They discover that the hotel was closed in 1975 when the son of the owners vanished in the mountains. However on the next morning they find that they are trapped in the hotel with a psychopath killer, and they have to protect themselves trying to survive.

"Fritt Vilt" is an engaging thriller that has a predictable story but entertains. I startled many times along the feature, and I liked the performances of the unknown cast. The gorgeous Ingrid Bolse Berdal has the strongest character and her performance is very convincing. I have just seen in IMDb that there is a sequel of this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Presos no Gelo" ("Trapped in the Ice")

A group of friends go on a skiing trip... when tragedy strikes -- one of them breaks his ankle. Taking shelter in an old hotel, things seem to be okay for the time being, and one of them leaves to go for help. But wouldn't you know it? They've taken up residence in the home of a brutal, nasty killer.

My past associations with Norway are varied. When I was much younger, my family took in two Norwegian exchange students for a week. They were nice enough, though they had a strange aversion to showering. Instead, they relied heavily on Neutrogena, not coincidentally a Norwegian product. I have never used Neutrogena myself, but have a soft spot in my heart for it due to its spokeswoman being a huge love of mine...

Later, Norway arose again when a group of friends decided they would move to Norway following the 9/11 attacks, to live in a more peaceful country with more progressive values. They went so far as to learn Norwegian, and while I was not intimately involved in this, I did supply them with some Norwegian books and read a few of them.

A few years later, a Norwegian film crossed my desk -- "Naboer" ("Next Door"), one of the best films I had seen in a while, and very psychological. My past experiences of Norway on film were with "The Thing", so this really opened my eyes. And that was the last I saw of Norway, until now... with "Fritt Vilt" ("Cold Prey"), another winner.

This film really revives the slasher genre. I enjoyed the new "Friday the 13th", but felt it wasn't anything special. "Cold Prey" brought the idea home. A group of young people in isolation, hunted down and hacked to bits. That's horror gold, people. You can quote me on that -- horror gold. No clichés about drug use, sexual promiscuity or anything else... this plot is sold on good storytelling and bloodshed.

The film does start a bit slow, and this is intensified if you're not into reading subtitles. But there's a good cast (I especially enjoyed Viktoria Winge, whom I can't wait to see in the sequel) and the build up pays off. Even the killer stands out. He's not a mutant, not a revenge addict... when you finally get to see him, he's terrifying in his normality. Nothing supernatural here -- you get trapped in the mountains, and this guy might get you! This film should be available at all video stores and shopping centers.

I strongly urge a rental and perhaps even a purchase. It hit home for me, and I think many others will agree. (I also suggest tracking down "Naboer" if you haven't seen it yet, as the two would make a great couple for a Norwegian double feature.) If this is what the Norse have to bring us, I say long live Odin and long live Thor. I'm ready.

After reading the other user comments about how good this movie was I have to give it to you people straight, the movie is okay but we serious horror fans have seen it all before.

The story starts with a couple of guys and girls heading for Jotunheimen(a big ass mountain)to snowboard. When one of the guys breaks his foot they have to seek cover in a abandoned mountain hotel... get the picture? I mean why the hell do they think it's abandoned in the first place?

Anyway, after settling down and all that other crap they agree to stay the night in the hotel. And of course as in any other horror movie we ever seen there is always a bright guy saying: "Hey wanna check out the rest of the hotel?" Whats very fascinating though is that one of the couple end up in room 237,guess these guys haven't seen "The Shining" yet? Okay, from know on you get the idea whats gonna happen, they discover that they are not alone, they wanna get out, they cant get out because the psychopath killer is one big Jason mother#¤%&/! or something like that AND (pause) the killing spree begins..

"Fritt Vilt" has borrowed a lot from movies like "The Shining","I know what you did last summer" and a kind of "Hills Have Eyes" beginning, mostly cheap scares but some good ones to. Like I said, the movie is good but we have already seen a lot of this stuff before, as a Norwegian movie its a step in the right direction but if you wanna see a horror flick beyond this see: Villmark. Thats a great horror flick ;)

Thanks for reading!

People have talked and talked about the revolution within Norwegian films for a few years now. That everything has become so much better. In my opinion, most of the films produced in the last few years, within this so-called revolution, has been the same old stories and concepts that Norway has made from day one, except the productions has become better. I have visited the theater for basically every new Norwegian film, with high hopes and a wanting to like what they show, and every time I walk out disappointed and with less hope for our present generation of filmmakers. This all changed today. I went to the premiere of Fritt Vilt expecting a nice slasher film, and I walked out 95 minutes later, with hope restored and a nice smile on my face. I actually felt good.

The film is a slasher film, through and through, and that is both one of it's strengths, but also it's weakness. The film contains basically every little slasher movie clichè you can think of. It's just they do it so very well. It is a genre film and it doesn't bring anything new to the concept, but it's fresh for us Norwegians. The film doesn't try to be anything more than a good horror film.

The setting is excellent. An old abandoned hotel in the middle of nowhere up in the mountains. The back story is not exactly original, but it works well enough to pull of some really scary scenes. The look and feel of the hotel and the isolation is all there, and the evil that is lurking sure is creepy.

Roar Uthaug does a few neat tricks early in the movie, which makes you sit at the edge of your seat through out the film, and his direction is good. The script is good enough for a horror story, but sometimes, especially in the opening scene, the dialoges are pretty campy and lame. But they redeem themselves quickly when the sh#% hits the fan.

The acting is excellent from most of the cast. I hope we'll see a lot more of Ingrid Bolsø Berdal in other films. Having her in the lead was a smart move. I would also like to credit Rolf Kristian Larsen. He had some funny commentaries and face expressions. The weakest actor, and at times so bad it was annoying, was Endre Martin Midtstigen. I'm not sure why he was in the movie. He must know someone in the production team, cause he has no acting talents what so ever.

A creepy horror film from Norway, and one of our finest films in recent years. I hope to see more of Roar Uthaug in the near future. I think this is a director with much to come. Also Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, we want more of you! Keep Up The Good Work!

New on R1 DVD. Sequel recently released to theatres in EU. Even a casual reader will easily find 2 major memes about this in its reviews - 1. "Hey this is great! Sure is lots of snow in Norway!" 2. "Nothing new here. Sure is lots of snow tho!" Actually both are on the mark. It probably has been over-hyped a bit, especially in Scandinavia. Understandable local pride. The basic isolated-teens-stalked-by-unknown-maniac script has been frozen in aspic for over 2 decades, at least since Jason Voorhees 3rd or 4th romp thru Camp Crystal Lake. Yet I found myself paying considerably more attention to this than usual. I realized about half-way thru, its primarily because the movie is populated by real actors, or at least by young people who can act. I liked the characters and cared what happened to them, because I know people who look and act like them. As opposed to at least 80 percent of similar fare of recent vintage here in the US of A, which has become a junky dumping ground for - 1. Trust fund babies with no discernible wit or talent taking a week off from partying/rehab/custody hearings/jail. ("Hey acting isn't so hard!") 2. Models who just know they deserve to be movie stars. 3. Pole dancers. 4. Girlfriends of A list rap stars. 5. C list rap artists. 6. Special appearances by former B movie actors/hit TV series stars fresh from detox for the 5th time and eager to tell OK! magazine they're on the comeback trail. All of the above playing 'characters' that are only to be found in bad horror movies, episodes of WHO WANTS TO DEGRADE THEMSELVES FOR A MILLION, or sitting in judgement on American Idol. What a revelation! Good acting makes a real difference, even in B genre pictures.

What exactly can I say about FRITT VILT that hasn't been said already. Well for starters, in a world overdosed on allegedly scary slasher movies this Norwegian film actually delivers with a terrifying atmosphere and genuine suspense. It's an old and tried storyline, take five teenagers and place them in an isolated location, this being a long abandoned hotel with a violent killer on the loose inside. However, what differentiates FRITT VILT from the rest of the pack is it's sharp direction by Roar Uthaug who manages to keep the same old clichés of the genre interesting. He does this mainly through the characters. Here we have five friends who emote a sincere affection for each other and for this reason we grow to like them. Unlike most other slasher movies where the characters are cardboard cut-outs simply used to increase the body-count and showcase gory effects these characters drive the story along and all have a purpose within the movie that serves the plot. So when we watch them die it becomes upsetting and genuinely disturbing. In particular the first murder is increasingly harrowing and while watching I felt a terrible pity for the person. Another reason it succeeds is the fluid cinematography by Daniel Voldheim who paints each shot with atmospheric lighting and shadow so the darker scenes generate true claustrophobia and tension. The soundtrack by Magnus Beite is wonderfully haunting, moving and terrifying while the performances by all involved are incredibly accurate, particularly Ingrid Bolso Berdal as Jannicke who provides a compassionate heroine whom we quickly grow to love and in the end we truly feel her anguish and pain. This is an outstanding movie within the slasher genre and a sterling example of Norwegian horror.

It was a movie that started in the style of a classic horror movie. It wasn't a very excited movie except for the chase scenes. It was cliché with the characters and everything.

(... though you might jump in your chair a couple of times). Set in the snowy landscape of Jotunheimen, Norway, a group of young adventure-seeking boys and girls ends up trapped in a mysteriously abandoned mountain hotel. They try to enjoy their stay in spite of the circumstances, but after a while they realize that something horrible haunts this else-how so charming (?) old building.

As with most horror movies, don't expect anything new, it's just the same old spooky murders in another setting. The setting isn't that badly created though, and with some improved dialog and acting skills among the actors, and some elements of unexpectedness, this could have become a classic like good old' "De dødes tjern". Unfortunelately, this is not the case. An OK thriller/horror-movie, you will probably be able to enjoy it, but there's nothing extraordinary about it.

Okay normally i'm not really into subtitled movies, but when I came across this little gem the other day and after all the rave reviews that I read about this on web, well I just had to see what all the fuss was about, and I was pleased with the result.

The Plot = Five people decide to take a snowboarding trip in the Norweign mountains, but one of them falls and breaks his leg, then they find refuge in an old abandoned ski lodge cabin, this where the terror begins.

Okay It's a generic plot but that doesn't matter and in no way makes this a bad movie whatsoever, It's however one of the many strenghs of this movie that brings a certain realism to it's surroundings and characters. Okay It's a slow burner at first it takes about 40 minutes for the first murder to happen, but when it does it really kicks in and in the meantime we get to know the main cast and it always keeps you interested all the way through.

The eerieness and tension are all there in this, the ski lodge was a geniue creepy place and when they start exploring the place and finding information and the killer works really well since he's just a regular guy geared up to handle the cold weather, so his face is naturally covered by material to keep himself warm. Though, his size is what makes him intimidating, towering over his victims by a foot or two. Since he uses a standard pick as his weapon of choice, we don't get a lot of gore, but there's a decent amount of blood. However, the movie's aim clearly wasn't to please us with gore, but to chill us with tension and it actually works. My favorite part of the film involved a sequence in which one of the survivors runs outside in the pitch black of night with only a flashlight -- short, but awesome scene and the final showdown really packs a punch. The movie just shows that even if you have a predictable and clichéd story you can deliver a decent watch.

The cast were all top notch = Ingrid Bolso Berdal who plays the main heroine Jannike hit all the right notes, she was fantastic and really stood out, her emotions and logical thinking made her a very likable character too root for. Rolf Kristian Larsen (Tobias) was another stand out as the joker of the group who brakes his leg, he made his character very real and sympatechic. Tomas Alf Larsen (Erik) was also another interesting addition to cast as was Viktoria Winge (Ingunn) the pretty blonde more than the usual bimbo they usually have in these movies, she actually layers to her character and Endre Martin Midtstigan (Mikal) who also played the asshole role pretty well.

All in all a decent slasher that hails all the way from Norway, that actually brings realism and an interesting set up and beautiful scenery a definite must see the best slasher in years.

Where do i start about this film,its a story of a group of enthusiastic youngsters who are looking forward to a fun vacation but find something terrifying instead with their lives at stake.This is a summary which obviously looks interesting and especially for those who are inclined towards thrillers/horror films,i am one of them,this keeps me on a constant search for such summaries.Many of these so called thrillers turn out to be a low budget trash with bad stories and highly unprofessional approach,but after seeing COLD PREY i assure you that its nothing like the trash i have mentioned b,its a brilliant thriller movie with a perfect score on movie making scale with a simple yet terrifying story making it an appreciable 90 minutes experience...definitely worth watching!!!

Me and Norwegian cinema have always gotten along well, from Troll Hunter (2010) to Escape (2012) I've tended to enjoy their work.

Cold Prey is a franchise I've been aware of for a longtime but just not gotten round to. I heard they were revolutionary powerful critically acclaimed pieces so when I put this on I expected great things.

The cinematography is great, with a gloomy dark filter that really adds to the atmosphere. The cast are decent enough and I personally love the setting.

Sadly that's all the film really has going for it. Going in I knew it was a horror but I didn't know what type, the answer is slasher and not a very original one at that.

In fact there is nothing at all new about it. Group of twenty somethings seek refuge in an abandoned hotel and get picked off one by one, it really couldn't be more clichéd.

Cold Prey isn't bad at all, it's just yet another generic slasher flick and I'm surprised it has two sequels. Fingers crossed that they figured out something in the follow ups to set them apart from the other million movies of its ilk.

The Good:

Great setting

Solid cinematography

The Bad:

No originality at all

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Superglue in Norwegian sounds like super lube, this could end in disaster!

To avoid the crowded tourist resorts, five snow boarders head out to an isolated mountain with a dazzling descent rate. What they naturally forgot to consider is that one of them might make a nasty fall and in that case they'd be trapped and cut off from the outside world. This is exactly what happens, of course, when Morton Tobias breaks his leg and the quintet has no other option but to look for shelter in a nearby abandoned hotel. The place isn't just forsaken for no reason, as something dreadful took place here years ago. There was a fire and the disappearance of a deformed young boy. All this happened in 1975, thus plenty of time for him to grow into a unworldly and pick-axe wielding psychopath. "Cold Prey" represents a new – and not necessarily American – generation of uncanny slashers. It's wild and exciting, but also massively clichéd and derivative of at least a dozen of other movies. You can easily overlook the unoriginality, however, since the film boosts so many beautiful snowy landscapes and the breathtaking sight of authentic Norwegian glaciers. The atmosphere inside the hotel is grim and sinister, emphasized through detailed camera-work and eerie music. The lead characters are rather amiable (as in: you don't necessarily wish for them to die in such gruesome ways, but it happens anyway) and the killer is a fairly menacing figure. He's a huge bloke, kind of like the Norwegian counterpart of Jason Vorhees, with a thick furry coat and inseparable pick-axe. There's not a whole lot of gore in "Cold Prey", but the violence is mean-spirited and disturbing. The climax sequences are very intense and admirably reveals the answers to several questions that were raised earlier in the film. Good, chilling slasher-fun recommended to all fans of nowadays brutal horror as well as to fans of the nostalgic 1980's. The sequel is – surprisingly enough – even better!

Slasher horror definitely isn't my favorite sub-genre, but this one impressed me after I found it at a second-hand shop 13 years after its release. I really found it avoided the pitfalls of most slasher flicks as it had: -likeable characters you cared about -solid special effects -somewhat sensible character decisions -GREAT actors Can definitely say it aged well- worth the watch if you can handle the gore! As stated in precious reviews, yes its a slasher and can be predictable, but its very well executed!!

If you've two-three slasher movies, you'll get bored by the time the killings start. If you've never seen a slasher movie before I'd advise you to unpack the classics (there surely is a section here at IMDb, where you can find them, from Halloween to Friday etc. etc.) and watch them instead.

The thing is you'll pretty much get used to the fact, that you get disposable characters these days. Mostly not even with some flaws, that would make them likable. You're also used to the fact, that they act stupid (although this one has one hell of stupid act, after an incident, that can easily be categorized as one of the top 10 worst things people decided to do in a slasher movie). But this all could've been forgiven, if the killings themselves would've been "pleasing"! Let me just say, they weren't. At most they were standard and even the "surprise" ending (if you want to call it that), didn't really save the movie ... just another footnote!

It's midwinter.Five youngsters are heading for the Jotunheimen mountain area to go snowboarding.On the slope,one of them has a bad fall and breaks a leg.There is no sign of any other people around and their mobile phones are out of range.They catch sight of a mountain hotel in the distance and decide to find shelter there.The hotel lies emtpy and silent,obviously closed down years ago.The phone lines are dead and the youngsters realize they have to spend the night in the hotel.Unbeknownst for them there is somebody else in the building-somebody thirsty for their blood...Pretty eerie Norwegian slasher with truly creepy looking killer.The director Roar Uthaug manages to create few moments of suspense and terror.There is very little gore and the motivation of the killer is fairly silly,but if you want to be scared give "Cold Prey" a look.

Above average slasher which means not a very good movie per se, but tolerable.

The setting comes up trumps as well as the unusually likable character portraits and solid performances. There are entirely too much false alarms, but otherwise the Norwegian director builds up a truly unsettling atmosphere.

Strictly by-the-numbers stuff (along with one of those final pseudo-psychological revelations about the murderous maniac's past), but quite captivating as long as it lasts.

4 out of 10 bloody ice picks

This is one of the worst Norwegian films I have ever seen. First of all - the plot is very traditional for horror films. A traditional plot can be quite okay if the rest of the film is excellent. But that is simply not the case with this film. You've kind of seen this a thousand times before, and you know what is going to happen. No excitement, no surprises.

The script is also awful. So is the story, the actors, the setting and the colors. I don't want to see it, because I've seen it before. Off course, it's a bit untraditional with a Norwegian horror movie, with an "international image". But it doesn't have to be good because of that.

Decent little slasher film from Norway. There are quite a few homages to the original Shining film. Note the room number 237 in the beginning. Also the axe as weapon of choice, not to mention the location being an old 'abandoned' hotel in the middle of a snowy, back of nowhere.

The acting is decent, as is the cinematography. I recommend the film for those who don't mind subtitles and non-demanding little slasher flicks.

Basic plot: kids out for fun snowboarding and one gets injured. Cue abandoned hotel and mysterious disappearances; kids get picked off in gruesome fashion one by one. Good popcorn flick for a boring night.