I went into this knowing nothing and by the opening exposition I thought that I had it all figured out. I couldn't have been more wrong and this did not play out how I expected at all. The plot takes a dive in a direction that will leave you open-mouthed for a good ten minutes. But unfortunately, this is not enough substance to keep this film afloat for the remainder of its runtime. Megan fox as an actress is someone I usually like. I strongly believe she is best suited to horror, however I don't think the handling of her character is done particularly well in this instance. In trying to make her seem fearless and brave they push the boundaries of making her rather unlikeable. This can have a negative impact on a film when you are supposed to be rooting for this character to survive past the closing credits. Overall I think she gave a great performance but her character was let down by the writing team. I have to give credit to Jack Roth who plays Jimmy (the brother of the main intruder) as he gives a captivating and convincing performance in the role he plays. Making us as an audience feel empathy and compassion for him as he finds himself in a situation he has no intention of being in. The set location is the most mesmorising for me. I love anything in a snowy setting, something about it to me brings a sense of tranquility and peace. Everything being covered in snow brings a sense of stillness and isolation that in my opinion provides the perfect back drop for a horror film. I must say though there are moments that do look like a film set with fake snow. Not enough to cause a distraction, but it’s lack of authenticity did momentarily break the illusion for me as a fan of this type of aesthetic. My observations are probably due to my own curiosity, as I watch and wonder how much of it is actually filmed in these temperatures and conditions. As much as I was surprised by the shocking twist at the beginning of the film, the writer then went down a path of clichés commonly seen in these films causing it to become predictable and obvious in its final outcome. It was nice to see some of the smart decision Fox's character makes in trying to evade the two men pursuing her, it was refreshing to see a female character step away from the usual tropes displayed in cinema. Had the the narrative taken a more refreshing turn, this film would have made for a much more enjoyable experience. This is a decent enough thriller with a few tense and suspenseful moments that ultimately was predictable. With the exception of its novelty plot twist and beautiful set this is no different from any other cat and mouse thriller that has come before. My biggest issue was that it had the potential to be incredible and I genuinely believed that was the direction it was taking us in, only for it to fall flat after the initial shock reveal.
💀💀1/2
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