‘It’s not just the frost that bites’
Freeze is a 2022 British horror film in which a group of rescuers are set upon by fish creatures at the North Pole.
Written, produced, photographed and directed by Charlie Steeds (Gods of the Deep; The Haunting of the Tower of London; Werewolf Castle; Death Ranch; A Werewolf in England; Vampire Virus; An English Haunting; The Barge People; Winterskin). Executive produced by Steve Beecham, Tony Taglienti and Sally Wood.
The Dark Temple Motion Pictures production stars Johnny Vivash, David Lenik, Ricardo Freitas, Jake Watkins, Rory Wilton, Tim Cartwright, Jay O’Connell, Beatrice Barrilà, Jaime Seal and Sam Lane.
Plot synopsis:
On a rescue mission to the North Pole to retrieve his old friend Captain Streiner (Tim Cartwright) and his lost expedition crew, Captain Mortimer (Rory Wilton) and the crew of the HMS Innsmouth get more than they bargained for when their ship is frozen into the ice sheet and set upon by bloodthirsty fish creatures.
Mortimer and his surviving crew flee the ship, beginning a treacherous journey to find safety in an ice-bound desolate wilderness. Suffering from starvation, frostbite and a slow madness, they find shelter inside a snowy mountain, but are they as safe as they think, or have they entered the heart of the creatures’ lair?
Reviews:
“The screenplay is full of suspense, as creature attacks, treachery, and madness abound. The cast members are fully committed, with Wilson particularly strong as the brave leader of his crew and Cartwright chewing up scenery in a fun manner. This is my favorite of Steed’s directorial efforts to date…” Horror Fuel
“The monster suits are excellent and the icthyoids do some fine lurking, but most of their horrific deeds are left to the imagination when a little more explicit nastiness – or even explicit alienness – would have built them up as more menacing. It might be a budgetary necessity rather than thematic, but here the regular people – all variously unsympathetic and ruthless, even the notional heroine – seem worse than the creatures.” The Kim Newman Web Site
“Too bad then that the low budget, the perfunctory dialogue, the bare-bones characterisation and the unconvincing rubber-suited monsters combine to drain away any of Lovecraft’s trademark dread, leaving the snowy wastelands echoing only with an air of unengaging adventure and stilted silliness.” Projected Figures
“Despite an interesting design for the arctic fish creatures, there’s little thrills watching this unengaging crew fight for survival. Characters fall into one-note ideas, be it the privileged lieutenant onboard his father’s ship or the bullied sketch artist. They barely advance from their introductions, as lacklustre characterisation and thin relationships only allow the cast to wear decent costumes, deliver ham-fisted dialogue, and fight with the grace of a drunken pub brawl.” The Reviewing Rodders
“It’s a fairly solid story. The plot makes sense if a bit familiar, and the character motivations are clearly presented. Are there flaws? Oh yes, there are some big Great Old One-sized logical doozies, no doubt. A 19th Century British Man-O-War had hundreds of sailors on board, and are armed to the teeth. The ship seemed to have a crew of about… twelve.” 3.5 out of 5, The Scariest Things
The Ichthyoids have some nasty teeth and claws but the results of their attacks are usually kept off-screen […] But despite that and few other goofs, muskets were out of service by the time gramophones were invented, for example, Freeze manages to get through its weak spots without floundering. It’s helped by some authentically cold Norwegian locations…” 3.5 out of 5, Voices from the Balcony
Trailer:
Technical specs:
1 hour 30 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
More Charlie Steeds movies:
GODS OF THE DEEP Reviews of Charlie Steeds’ Lovecraftian sci-fi horror
THE HAUNTING OF THE TOWER OF LONDON (2022) Reviews and trailer
DEATH RANCH (2020) Reviews and release news for grindhouse horror movie
A WEREWOLF IN ENGLAND (2020) Reviews and now free to watch online
THE HOUSE OF VIOLENT DESIRE (2018) Reviews and free to watch online
MOVIES & MANIA provides previews of new films, our own movie reviews/ratings, and links to other reviews from trustworthy recommended sources - all in one handy web location. Plus, links to legitimately watch 1000s OF MOVIES FREE ONLINE via platforms such as Amazon Prime, Plex, Roku, Tubi and on YouTube. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a very tiny amount from any qualifying purchases.ESCAPE FROM CANNIBAL FARM (2017) Reviews of Charlie Steeds’ first feature
