Frostbitten (2006)

Overrated

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

After Let the Right One In, I was wary about approaching another Swedish vampire film. Surely it couldn't live up to the brilliance of that master piece. Well, it doesn't. But Frostbiten is a different kind of beast altogether. Frostbiten is a wonderful return to classical vampires. They hate garlic, don't have reflections etc. This lends itself well to the comic tone of the film. Even in a foreign language, this is instantly quotable and memorable. From lines such as "Stop throwing garden gnomes at me!" and a girl making an X rather than a crucifix, we have a film that doesn't take itself seriously, but isn't stupid either. The film does well to split up the adult world and the teen world. The teen world is basically filled with drugs and parties, lending itself as the perfect set-up for a massacre. Meanwhile, the adult world is filled with the backstory and the main plot thrust.The score and soundtrack work in perfect harmony. The film opens during the war, and the score has an eerie Gothic sound which seems as though is should be coming straight from a gramophone. The effects are perfect in my opinion. The mix of CG and make-up is almost indistinguishable. It comes across as an old classical stop-motion piece at times. The whole film was enjoyable in the same way as The Lost Boys. Fun, exciting and hilarious. Only, Frostbiten has talking dogs.

...where credit is due: I think that Anders Banke and the rest of his crew really wanted to make a quality vampire film, whether it be a Swedish first or not. Unfortunately, their cinematic aspirations fail to materialize in any meaningful way, mostly due to being saddled with a mediocre screenplay that tries to bite off far more than it can chew.After a somewhat promising prologue in which a small band of WWII Swedish volunteers in Hitler's SS stumble across a Ukrainian vampire's lair to ill effect, "Frostbitten" jumps to present day to join an erstwhile geneticist and her mousy daughter who've moved to a strangely empty research facility in northern Sweden to start a new life. Unsurprisingly, they soon run afoul of vampiric machinations to conquer the world. Unlikely events concatenate as the creaky comic book plot stumbles from one ridiculous set piece to the next, then lurches to a conclusion that promises a sequel which will hopefully never be made. "Frostbitten" haphazardly offers up some occasionally evocative cinematography, appropriate servings of grue, brief flashes of competent acting from a cast that will likely never get work outside of Sweden, some unimpressive video game quality visual effects, and little else.I'm amused that most of the previous comments here are from Swedish viewers, most being less than complimentary, and I think this is the first film I've commented on wherein the bulk of voting is from overseas. I'm not sure what any of that means, but it's interesting. Regardless, "Frostbitten" is eminently forgettable, of interest to vampire movie completists only, with minimal payoff even for them. If you can borrow this one from your library, or otherwise see it for free, it might (emphasize MIGHT) be worth your viewing time. Otherwise, no; stick with "30 Days of Night" for your frostbitten fang fun.

Having read positive things about this flick I finally bought it on DVD in Denmark last year but only got around to actually watch it last night. I won't bother to go in to the plot but the biggest problem with this film is the terrible script and most of all the weak directing and editing. The director and editor simply don't know how to pull of a scare and all the potential horror scenes fizzle out with a limp whimper. The music doesn't evoke any horror and is to mellow to work in film like this. What bugged me as well is that there is no reason for the film to take place in Northen Sweden as the story didn't take any advantages of the location, as the film took place in only one night. A damn shame that Swedens first attempt at straight horror should be this turkey.

A vampire tale set in Northern Sweden, the plot of Frostbite can be summed up fairly quick: a researcher has concocted a serum that turns people into vampires, and a bunch of people drink it.I didn't think it was supposed to be particularly funny, or scary, or anything other that what it is: a lighthearted vampire movie that's enjoyable to watch. If you don't have other expectations the film is decent and watchable, the acting is good, the production is good. Sure, the plot is predictable but it's a vampire movie! How unpredictable does the genre get? I wasn't looking for originality or innovation here, just a good movie to watch, and this was.When Lukas Moodysson directs a Swedish vampire movie, then you can expect some originality, some twists and turns, some things that you wouldn't think could ever be in that type of movie. Until then, pass the popcorn and enjoy Frostbiten for what it is.There's a lot of blood and gore, but it isn't shocking, just the usual vampire bites. No nudity to speak of, but hey, you can't have everything. There is some drug usage, but it's a plot device, not gratuitous. Fairly tame for a horror movie, really.