The Frozen Ground (2013)

Director: Scott Walker

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Vanessa Hudgens, John Cusack

An Alaska State Trooper partners with a young woman who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen to bring the murderer to justice. Based on actual events.

In ‘The Frozen Ground’ there are hardly any spoilers, even if I were to tell you everything about the movie. So much so that the film’s climax was hardly surprising or a big reveal.

From the very beginning we know who the killer is. The police has evidence, but kept saying “it’s not enough”. So, the film revolves around a policeman (or state trooper as he is officially called), Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) trying to convince everyone of the killer’s guilt so he can be apprehended.

Did it make for interesting viewing? I guess so. But there was no mystery here. There was no suspense. It wasn’t all that thrilling, neither was it all that exciting. Don’t get me wrong, this was not a boring movie, but I found the film gave away too much. The viewer was handed everything on a silver platter, so it simply was a matter of time before the inevitable happened, which off course would bring the movie to an end.

The director also insisted on shaky camera work and extreme close-up shots. I do prefer steady camera work with reasonable distance from its subjects. Call me old-fashioned, but it does ensure a better viewing experience – or for me, at least.

There’s nothing here that will make me remember the film. It wasn’t a bad watch, with good performances, but it’s just not memorable.

Would I watch it again? No.