Best in Show: Winter Horrors (Pt. I of II)

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, winter should be starting up any moment. As the days get shorter, the nights longer and cold weather starts setting in, icy shapes start to form and things can get little spooky. And, while horror films have a tendency to chill bones even in the dead of summer, it's those set in winter that'll leave you absolutely frozen with fear. These movies often utilize their settings' harsh temperatures and climate with incredible force, creating an experience that can feel urgent, claustrophobic and completely terrifying. So as the snow runs scarlet and the dread fills you up, grab a blanket and get ready for some wild rides.



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10. Dead Snow

Dead Snow is a ridiculous movie - no one is arguing that. The film follows a group of friends vacationing deep in the Norwegian wilderness when they are come upon by zombies. And not just any zombies- Nazi zombies. Even weirder, these oddly sentient beings use weapons to slaughter their victims. A true splatter film, this comedic, bloody movie is honestly, a little terrifying. Through all the comedy - whether it is a Molotov cocktail accidentally missing a window it needs to go through or pretty much any interaction with the Nazi zombies - Dead Snow actually has plenty of scares.

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9. The Blackcoat's Daughter

Arguably one of the best films to come out of 2016, The Blackcoat's Daughter is best described as a small flickering candle in the middle of nothingness. Chilling in the best way possible, this film deserved the accolades it received as we followed a student trapped at her school with only another student during a holiday break. The Blackcoat's Daughter is a beautiful master class of the slow burn. It is completely restrained; grounded in realism, despite its supernatural elements. It's the type of movie that some will hate, but most will feel compelled to drudge through the dark and unwelcoming atmosphere.

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8. Misery

What winter horror movie list would be complete without at least one entry for Stephen King, who hails from a place known for particularly rough winters. Misery is perfect for this time of year given its winter-based story, country home furnishings and muted-tone sweaters and clothing worn by its characters. Aging relatively well, most people know the story of the obsessed young woman who captures her favorite author after a car accident and imprisons him in a remote cabin. Misery is a hazy and fantastic journey with some out-of-this-world scenes worthy of the history books.

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7. Devil's Pass Despite some terrible CGI toward the end of this movie, Devils Pass is a horrific endeavor most comparable to The Blair Witch Project. Following a group of American students who set off into Ural Mountains to uncover the truth of the real-life Dyatlov Pass incident, this found-footage feature is best reserved for a cold night. Deeply unsettling and able to perfectly capture the fears of things that go bump in the night, Devil's Pass is an underrated gem worth watching - even if the end reveal is a little laughable.



6. The Thing 

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A bona fide classic, the 1982 version of The Thing is a legendary horror film featuring a group of researchers burrowed away at a base in Antarctica. Iconic to this day, this movie has everything representative of harsh climates; from ice and huskies, to snowmobiles and giant puffy coats. The Thing has some pretty incredible special effects given the year it came out and the setting is fantastic for an extra cold day. Sure, the average person will never find themselves in the coldest place on earth, but who among us hasn't felt like a winter day isn't the coldest day recorded?

Review: Berlin Syndrome



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There seems to be a growing horror trend in Australia. Between the recently released Hounds of Love and the new film Berlin Syndrome, it looks like Australian horror has become swept up in a phase of brutally grounded kidnapping sagas. These two movies that look to be taking center stage share commonalities and procedural execution beginning with the chase, the capture and inevitably, the attempted escapes. Throughout the films there are also moments of disturbingly sexual tones and offbeat cracks of insanity from the captors.

Like Hounds of Love, Berlin Syndrome follows a young woman being held captive, this time by a crazed English teacher in Germany. Much of the movie is similar to Hounds of Love - featuring the steady, too-real-for-comfort plot points, but additionally draws on the one-on-one nature of Misery. It stars Teresa Palmer (Lights Out) as Australian tourist Clare, and Max Riemelt (Sense8), as the unhinged German, Andi. Both play their roles well and should be commended. Palmer in particular plays her role as a captive with such tenacious commitment that her predicament feels real.

Where Hounds of Love played heavily into a 60s aesthetic, Berlin Syndrome is far more straightforward. However, the somewhat sensationalized moments of this rendition feel far scarier than the realistic, but definitely dated atmosphere of Hounds. Berlin Syndrome is especially effective given its city setting. For in it, viewers would expect Clare's escape to be far easier than a suburban neighborhood or a desolate cabin, but for this film, nothing comes easy. Berlin Syndrome has plenty of thrilling moments to gape at, including an exciting, if predictable, ending. 

The film's biggest setback is a lack of memorability. While sufficient enough to overcome being bad or boring, Berlin Syndrome feels ultimately forgettable. It doesn't feature the nostalgia of Hounds of Love or the iconic imagery of a movie like Misery, and without much past two actors who faithfully adhere to their roles, there's nothing particularly surprising about this movie. While watchable and perfectly entertaining, the fact of the matter is that audiences could stand to not watch this film without much fear of missing out. Certainly better than bad, but no better than that, Berlin Syndrome is the type of movie that fades quickly from the mind.

While horror fans rejoice for new content, Berlin Syndrome won’t likely win over any new viewers. It's got quite the climactic final escape but without anything to keep it in the audience's head, the chance of it standing the test of time seems slim. This is a film that is definitely watchable, but definitely not committable. 6 out of 10.