Logically unfolding sequel to the supremely atmospheric and haunting Norwegian horror hit "Cold Prey", released two years prior. Sole survivor Jannicke gets picked up by the side of a snowy road and taken to a nearby hospital that is as good as empty due to being closed very soon. She's in shock and nobody believes her grotesque story about the pick-axe wielding maniac that butchered her friends. They're forced to sing a different tune when the five cadavers are recovered from the ravine and brought back to the hospital morgue. The police also discovers a few dozen of other frozen corpses, including that of the killer. He really must be Jason Voorhees' distant Scandinavian relative, as he miraculously resurrects from his body bag. The medics successfully attempt to bring him back, naturally much against the will of a hysterical Jannicke, and she's obviously right to protest as he promptly continues his relentless killing spree. Meanwhile, the local police commissioner digs up the 30-year-old missing person file and discovers a handful of interesting personality details about our deranged killer. "Cold Prey II" is a more than worthwhile successor of the original, this time with a sinister abandoned hospital setting instead of an abandoned skiing resort setting. Also like in the original, the characters are identifiable and amiable individuals and you certainly don't wish for them to die in such barbaric and excruciatingly painful ways. Like the cute blond nurse who's being smashed to death with a fire extinguisher, for example. Ouch! The sequel is actually even slightly more suspenseful than the first film, because there's a more intense aura of mystery hanging around the killer's persona. The first half hour is particularly scary, prior to his resurrection, because you can't really guess which direction the writers have chosen for this film. There are nicely eerie decors and set pieces, great use of ominous music and always the exact right dose of lighting. Let it be clear that these Norwegians definitely know how to generate the right mood for an atmospheric and nightmarishly intense horror film. "Cold Prey II" also benefices from terrific acting performances, including the one from the little kid. The last half hour follows a very exciting cat-and-mouse game between the killer, hiding somewhere in the hospital, the two female survivors and a bunch of policemen. These sequences are authentically scary. When is the last time a slasher actually scared you? The finale is brilliant and Jannicke unfolds herself as one of the most prolific and heroic female horror protagonists of the last decade. There's another entry on the way, apparently a prequel set in the 1980's. I, for one, cannot wait!
Review of Cold Prey 2
