Greetings from the Underground!
October has always been a month associated with the horror genre. While many of us watch horror films year around, watching one during this month always feels extra special. What is also extra special is the performance of Devanny Pinn in a new horror film from director Brandon Slagle called Frost.
In Frost, Pinn plays Abby, who goes to visit her estranged father Grant, played by the talented Vernon Wells. After not speaking to him for five years, Abby has some life changing news she wishes to share. As the two work to regain a bond they once had, they go on a fishing trip into the mountains, get into a car accident, and find themselves stranded in a remote part of the mountain at the beginning of a winter storm. As the storm intensifies, so does Abby’s fear that help may not find them in time. Grant races through the woods to find help as Abby deals with injury, wolves, and the ever increasing cold.
Frost is an emotional roller coaster ride that starts off with predictable turns but ends with a big drop that will stay with you for days, if not longer. The story from James Cullen Bressack and screenplay from Robert Thompson give the characters a depth that the audience can connect with. Vernon Wells and Devanny Pinn had a great on screen connection. Their wonderful chemistry crafts a relationship that starts off tense and then relaxes as they make amends.
The film plays out in two halves; the first part deals with the challenges Abby and Grant face with each other and the second half is about the challenges they face against nature. The first half is more in line with what we’ve seen before, but the situations get far less predictable after the accident. I honestly did not see the wildly intense ending coming until just before it happened. I am impressed that Slagle took the risk.
Frost has a high production quality. Everything looked great and the blue color palette used during Pinn’s scenes helped effectively convey the feeling of cold. The makeup effects on Pinn further highlighted the chill and Abby’s deteriorating condition.
Frost delivers exactly the horror you may have heard about from other reviews. When the film started out, I thought it was going to be by-the-numbers horror but I was happy to be proven wrong. There is no doubt that the film will offend some viewers, which doesn’t necessarily mean it is a bad film; it means it was an effective one. If you enjoy the past work of the talent involved like I have, then Frost is definitely a film that should be on your “31 Days of Horror” list. If you stick with it til the end, you will not be disappointed.
FROST will be released on October 11 on Digital and Blu-ray as will the soundtrack on CD and vinyl formats.
