Cold Prey
Cold Prey (Norwegian: Fritt vilt, lit. "Open Season") is a 2006 Norwegian slasher horror film directed by Roar Uthaug in his feature directorial debut.[1][2] The film follows five young snowboarders who, after one of their group suffers an injury in the remote Jotunheimen mountains, seek refuge in an abandoned ski lodge, only to discover they are not alone and must confront a mysterious killer stalking the premises.[3][4] Written by Uthaug alongside Thomas Moldestad, Martin Sundland, and others, it stars Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as the resourceful Jannicke, alongside Rolf Kristian Larsen, Tomas Alf Larsen, Endre Martin Midtstigen, and Aksel Hennie in supporting roles.[5][6] Released theatrically in Norway on October 13, 2006, Cold Prey was produced by Norwegian company Fantefilm[7] and distributed by SF Norge, achieving commercial success as the ninth highest-grossing Norwegian film of the year with over 257,000 admissions domestically.[8] The movie draws inspiration from classic slasher tropes, emphasizing isolation in a snowy, unforgiving landscape to heighten tension, and features practical effects for its violent sequences.[2] Critically, it received mixed to positive reviews, praised for its atmospheric cinematography by Daniel Voldheim and Uthaug's taut pacing, though some noted its reliance on genre conventions; it holds a 55% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.[2] Cold Prey launched a trilogy, with sequels Cold Prey 2 (2008) and Cold Prey 3 (2010) expanding the story of the enigmatic "Fjord Killer" while shifting settings to a hospital and a youth hostel, respectively.[9] The franchise has been noted for revitalizing Norwegian horror on the international stage, influencing later Nordic genre films with its blend of survival horror and cultural specificity.[10]Film Overview
Plot
The film opens with a prologue set in the 1970s, depicting a young boy with a distinctive birthmark over his left eye being chased through a blizzard by an unseen pursuer before falling into a ditch and being buried alive in the snow; police later question his parents about his disappearance, hinting at the lodge's dark history.[11] In the present day, five young friends—Jannicke and her boyfriend Eirik, along with their friends Ingunn and her boyfriend Mikal, and single friend Morten Tobias—drive to the remote Jotunheimen mountains in Norway for a snowboarding excursion, seeking untouched powder away from crowded resorts. As night falls and a storm brews, Morten Tobias suffers a severe leg fracture after a fall on the slopes, leaving the group isolated with no cell signal and too far from their car to reach safety.[3][2] Spotting lights in the valley, the group limps to an apparently abandoned ski lodge, which was shuttered decades earlier following the boy's disappearance. They break in, improvise a splint for Morten Tobias using a ski, build a fire in the lobby, and settle in for the night, their camaraderie strained by the injury and encroaching fatigue. While exploring, they discover signs of recent activity, including an old guestbook with a 1975 entry reading "We hope you find your son" and a photograph of the boy with the birthmark; these findings subtly reveal the killer's backstory as the now-adult boy, a mute, disfigured "Mountain Man" who has survived in isolation, preying on intruders.[3][11] The harsh winter environment amplifies their vulnerability, with deep snowdrifts and subzero temperatures trapping them and underscoring themes of isolation, as group dynamics fracture under rising paranoia and desperation—slasher tropes like divided searches and improvised defenses adapted to the claustrophobic, snowbound setting.[12] The narrative builds tension slowly over the first 30 minutes, focusing on the friends' banter and the eerie silence of the lodge, before escalating into horror. Ingunn ventures alone to an outhouse and is brutally murdered with a pickaxe by the lurking Mountain Man, her screams drawing the others to her mutilated body and sparking panic. Mikal descends to the basement for firewood and is killed in a sudden attack, his neck broken, with his corpse later discovered. As the survivors barricade themselves, Eirik attempts to reach the car for help but is ambushed outside and killed with the pickaxe. Morten Tobias, still immobilized, is slain in his bed during a frenzied assault with a saw.[3][11][12] In the climax, Jannicke confronts the killer in a protracted chase through the lodge's corridors and kitchen, stabbing him with a box cutter; she ultimately pushes him into a deep ravine, ending the threat. Stumbling out into the blizzard as the sole survivor, Jannicke is rescued, though her collapse in the snow heightens the tension. The film's pacing emphasizes psychological dread over gore, with the snowy isolation heightening the slasher genre's primal fear of being hunted in an unforgiving wilderness.[3][11][10]Cast and Characters
The ensemble cast of Cold Prey features a group of five young Norwegian friends whose interpersonal dynamics drive the film's early tension, portraying a mix of longstanding romantic partnerships, new relationships, and platonic bonds strained by isolation. The leads were primarily relatively unknown actors in their early twenties at the time of production, selected to reflect authentic young adults, with only Ingrid Bolsø Berdal bringing prior theater experience to her role.[13]| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ingrid Bolsø Berdal | Jannicke | The protagonist, depicted as a compassionate and resourceful young woman in a committed but uneasy relationship with Eirik; her portrayal marks Berdal's breakout leading role, earning her the Amanda Award for Best Actress.[14][5] |
| Tomas Alf Larsen | Eirik | Jannicke's boyfriend and the group's de facto leader, shown as practical yet grappling with commitment issues in his partnership.[5][15] |
| Endre Martin Midtstigen | Mikal | A member of the group in a newly formed romantic relationship with Ingunn, contributing to the ensemble's mix of excitement and vulnerability during their mountain excursion.[5] |
| Viktoria Winge | Ingunn | Mikal's girlfriend, representing the lighter, more carefree side of the group's friendships early on.[5] |
| Rolf Kristian Larsen | Morten Tobias | The single, impulsive jokester and fifth wheel among the friends, whose boisterous personality adds levity to the group's interactions.[5][16] |