As you’ve probably noticed I rarely write about sequels. I do mention them, if they’re any good, of course. Fritt Vilt II AKA Cold Prey 2 is an intense and suspenseful slasher definitely worth watching. The story picks up right after the events from the original Fritt Vilt so you can watch these two movies as one. Jannicke, the sole survivor of the massacre, is stumbling down a snowy road when a car almost hits her. The driver takes her to a nearby hospital where she tells the police her harrowing experience. She also informs them that the killer is now dead and where they can find the bodies.
Which they do, including the body of the man responsible for all this mess. Soon, she will have to fight for her life again as the killer seems to be alive after all. Yes, Cold Prey 2 introduces a concept of an almost supernatural killer, perhaps as a tribute to Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th franchise. I mean, the guy can take an axe to the chest, bullets to his torso, deep freeze, and still come out of it all alive and kicking. And thirsty for more blood and victims. Despite this somewhat supernatural element, the rest of the story is pretty realistic along with character reactions.
Most of the story will take place in an almost abandoned hospital. A hospital surrounded by howling winds and mountains of snow. And let’s not forget about the actual mountains. Since Fritt Vilt II is a Norwegian horror movie you can expect that trademark Euro-vibe. They just do things differently. For example, when the bodies are brought to the morgue Jannicke breaks down after seeing them. This highly emotional scene shows that these people were not just cardboard cutouts for the killer to feast upon but actual human beings.
It raises the stakes and brings an element of reality and believability into the whole experience. Something that most slashers usually simply skip opting for a more casual and entertaining atmosphere. This is why we will spend the first third of the movie dealing with the aftermath of the original. And slowly setting up the horror that’s about to come. So, just be ready for that as the real action starts in the second half. I also found it really refreshing we won’t be following some models run through the woods but people who actually look like real people. This brings an added sense of authenticity to the movie and makes it more relatable.
In terms of gore, we will get a couple of brutal kills but that’s it. I’m glad they weren’t going for that torture porn horror style that seems to be so popular these days. Movies like Saw and Hostel are now practically mainstream so it’s refreshing to see something leaning more towards reality and suspense. Since our main protagonist, Jannicke hooks up with a little girl in the final third while fighting off the masked killer, the movie gets a strong Aliens vibe. We’ve got our heroine trying to overpower a much stronger enemy in a desolate and dark place. There are even more similarities to this eighties classic but I will leave them for you to discover.
Featuring a short running time of just 85 minutes, Cold Prey 2 is a no-brainer for not just fans of slasher movies but also everyone else. You don’t have to know anything about the original in order to enjoy this one. Finally, you should know that there are already talks about the third part. Apparently, it’s going to be a prequel explaining how the masked mountain man we’ve come to love and kills so much came about. While waiting, you might want to check out Dead Snow, a Norwegian horror comedy featuring a similar setting and, more importantly, Nazi zombies.
Director: Mats Stenberg
Writers: Thomas Moldestad, Martin Sundland, Roar Uthaug
Cast: Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik, Mats Eldøen, Kim Wifladt, Robert Follin
Fun Facts: Fritt Vilt premiered in Norwegian theaters on 10 October 2008 and broke the record as the most profitable domestic movie in entire Norwegian history.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188990/
