The characters in the Norwegian slasher franchise Cold Prey (or Fritt Vilt, meaning “fair game”) may be accustomed to harsh and wintry climates, but they’re not prepared for a pickaxe-wielding killer with almost superhuman stamina. The first stab in this successful trilogy made its way into theaters in 2006, on a Friday the 13th, no less. Five characters go on a ski trip in Jotunheimen, and when someone gets injured, they find shelter at the abandoned ski lodge on the mountain. As they wait for help to come, the group slowly realizes the place isn’t so empty after all. A serial killer inhabits the old hotel with a long and dark history. This ruthless and stoic assailant, referred to as the Mountain Man, then proceeds to butcher his unwelcome guests.
Slasher movies are typically associated with hot weather. Thoughts of summer camps, sweaty small towns, and warm woods enter one’s head when talking about this popular subgenre. In a place like Norway, though, the chances of seeing a sweltering setting in a horror movie are low. And with such long and snowy winters, it’s logical for homegrown horrors to feature cold backdrops. A frigid climate can often enhance the atmosphere as well as make the odds of survival harder. The characters of Cold Prey understand if the Mountain Man doesn’t kill them, frostbite might.
As slashers evolved into their much more violent and sadistic forms throughout the 2000s, nice and unassuming victims weren’t as regularly seen, and sometimes this led to a lack of sympathy on the audience’s part. Cold Prey, on the other hand, does terrific character work, given the context. Director Roar Uthaug and screenwriter Thomas Moldestad don’t dig deep into these young people’s souls, and they’re definitely not more developed than they have to be for a straightforward slasher like this, but Jannicke (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) and her friends are approachable and easy to care about.
What also sets Uthaug’s Cold Prey apart from a lot of slashers is its measured approach and ability to make every death count. There are no opening kills to speak of in those first two movies; it takes a good forty or so minutes until someone actually dies on screen. The stories instead build suspense and establish a seemingly calm but restless mood before bringing utter chaos down on these unfortunate Norwegians. Once the killing does start, though, the Mountain Man doesn’t hold back. He’s relentless, bizarrely strong, and talented with all things sharp or spiked.
Uthaug began writing a follow-up while the original movie was still being promoted. And almost exactly two years after introducing the world to the Mountain Man, Cold Prey II hit theaters. This sequel, under the direction of Mats Stenberg, picks up right where the first one ended, but now the danger has been brought in from the cold. Along with the lone survivor of the first massacre, the supposedly dead antagonist awakens in a nearby hospital. Getting back to his sanctuary then entails a sizable murder spree.
Cold Prey II plays out like an homage to Rick Rosenthal’s Halloween II, due to the structure and setting. The virtually empty hospital — Uthaug and co-writers Thomas Moldestad and Martin Sundland clarify Otta Hospital is closing its doors soon, hence the skeleton crew and dearth of patients — is a reminder of how badly underused this locale is in slashers. The hospital’s abandoned aesthetic pairs nicely with the series’ minimalist visuals. And in the same way snowy scenery can send an extra chill down people’s backs in a horror movie, hospitals bring up a natural sense of discomfort.
Like in the previous movie, Cold Prey II bides its time, though at this point the audience knows what all to expect. It’s just a matter of how this second slaughtering will go down. The Mountain Man, who’s not as dead as everyone initially thought, springs back to life on the gurney. Still driven by murderous, pent-up rage and showing no signs of slowdown since meeting the business end of a pickaxe, the herculean hunter makes his way through hospital personnel, local police, and most importantly, the victim who got away.
Cold Prey II tends to trade character work for action. While that may sound like a con, the compromise is handled well, and with care and skill. Even new characters, whose deaths are easily foreseeable, are still worth caring about. The small increase in human fodder also allows for more Mountain Man screen time and mayhem, especially since there’s no longer a need to hide his existence. Showing the villains too often can make the audience desensitized, but at the same time, the camera doesn’t stay on the Mountain Man for long. He still feels like a mystery, despite the greater presence and background information delivered by the series’ own analog for Dr. Loomis.
Quick slasher sequels don’t always bode well, but Cold Prey II is quite nearly the best of its kind. This was neither a rush job nor a mere cash grab. In many ways, this continuation goes bigger — body count, killings, and even the addition of a second Final Girl — and in some books that would make it the better of the original two movies. Wherever someone’s preference lies, there’s no denying how well these movies complement one another.
Although it was presumed Cold Prey would finish as a duology, a prequel was filmed and shot in 2010. Uthaug wasn’t a part of this one, and stepping in as director is Mikkel Brænne Sandemose. The 1980s-set prequel further explains how the Mountain Man came to be, and how the police chief from Cold Prey II, Einar, first caught wind of his activities. The hotel is visited, but it’s not the main setting here. Instead, an unlucky group of campers is stalked throughout Jotunheimen National Park, and as the previous movies state, they, like so many others in the area, are never seen or heard from again. Admittedly there are no notable surprises in this needless prelude, however Cold Prey III is exquisitely shot, and the Mountain Man’s inability to distinguish human prey from animal prey is the most pronounced here.
With another slasher resurgence underway, ardent fans are encouraged to seek this series out. What the filmmakers do with such an overused idea is refreshing and comforting all at the same time, and other similar movies would be so lucky to have this kind of beautiful cinematography. Cold Prey is indeed a prime example of how alike yet different a concept can be when told through someone else’s eyes.
Horrors Elsewhere is a recurring column that spotlights a variety of movies from all around the globe, particularly those not from the United States. Fears may not be universal, but one thing is for sure — a scream is understood, always and everywhere.
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