Imagine planning a ski adventure with your two best friends, unaware that this so-called adventure could turn into a colossal blunder of a lifetime. What was meant to be a delightful week-long retreat on the slopes quickly morphs into a bone-chilling nightmare for three friends: Joe, Parker, and Dan. All of this unfolds in the spine-tingling thriller dubbed “Frozen,” helmed by none other than Hatchet fame Adam Green.
Despite hitting the silver screen more than a decade ago, this movie hasn’t lost its touch for sending shivers down your spine. Starring Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell, and Kevin Zegers, “Frozen” is the kind of thriller that can make even the toughest cookie jump out of their seat. Adam Green, the director, enjoys a reputation for luring his audience into nerve-wracking situations. He’s like a puppeteer pulling the strings of discomfort, using tight spaces, confined locations, and the drama between his characters to make you squirm in your seat. This spine-chilling approach is also obvious in several of his other movies, such as “Victor Crowley” and “Digging Up the Marrow.”
Frozen (2010) Movie Synopsis & Plot Summary:
Stuck on a Chairlift
The movie begins with Joe and Dan twisting Parker’s arm into helping them score a discounted chairlift ride. Their ploy? A story about a group of girlfriends who’ve traveled from Salem State but had unfortunately left wallets behind at a gas station pit stop. After some initial skepticism, the resort employee gives in to her sob story, dishing out a hefty discount. Little did he know that Parker had lied, for she was flanked not by a group of gal pals but by two men. After having the time of their life, Dan and Joe decide it’s time to graduate from the bunny slopes and take on the mountain’s real challenges.
Yet, much to their chagrin, all chairlifts to the mountain are closed due to bad weather conditions. However, Joe and Dan are in no mood to back down and, thus, bribes Jason, one of the employees, to allow them one last run to the mountain, swearing on their skis that they’ll be back before the mountain’s lights flicker off. Unfortunately, the mountain is closed before their arrival, trapping them on the chairlift in freezing conditions. As the cold bites and the world turns white around them, the realization sinks in—they’re trapped 50 feet above the ground, with no means of contacting the people below.
Desperate Times Desperate Measures
Parker was the first one to lose control, crying and screaming in fear, considering the possibility of what would happen if they were stuck there for longer. Sharing the same fear, Dan attempted to soothe Parker’s escalating panic. He offered the thought that the chairlift had merely stopped due to a temporary power outage and would soon be back in motion once electricity was restored. But hope dwindled as the lights below them winked out one after another. This shattered Dan’s attempt at reassurance.
The truth became clear – they were trapped, suspended on this chairlift for a seemingly endless three days, with the mountain off-limits until Friday. The group became desperate with every passing second. Time seemed to stretch, each heartbeat echoing with anxiety. Soon, Dan’s thoughts took a desperate turn. The idea of jumping from the chairlift brushed against his mind.
The hope that survival might greet them at the bottom, however slim, manifests into his desperate thoughts. But as luck would have it, the group finds themselves faced with an icy blizzard that’s far colder than their foolish ideas. But that’s not all. The trio’s string of misfortunes doesn’t end there. Hope pokes its head briefly when they spot Cody, down below in his truck, just passing by. Desperation fuels a frenzied attempt to catch his attention and signal for help, but luck’s not on their side either. Their signals go unnoticed, their pleas lost in the howling winds as Cody continues on his way, unaware of their dire situation.
Frozen (2010) Movie Ending Explained:
What Becomes of Dan, Joe, and Parker?
With no choice left, Dan jumps 100 feet below, only to be rendered incapacitated by the fall. The audience sees Dan’s bones soaked in his blood and sticking out of his body. Dan somehow manages to stop himself from bleeding out. Unfortunately, Dan is attacked and killed by the pack of wolves while his friends scream and cry helplessly. With Dan gone, Parker loses his cool and begins blaming Joe, asking why he let Dan jump.
Moreover, with Dan gone, Parker can’t help but think about the possibility that she might not make it till Monday. Parker cries in pain, thinking her little pup will starve to death if she doesn’t survive. The thought of her pet puppy waiting by the front door, cocking her little head out at every little noise she hears, burdens her heart. Joe tries calming her down, swearing that she will make it and will see her family and puppy. Joe also shares his story, saying he has been a douchebag all his life and has made many mistakes, but befriending Dan was the best decision he has ever made.
Both Joe and Parker realized that Dan didn’t sacrifice his life for them to accept their fate and die. Joe gathered what little strength he still had left and somehow managed to climb to the other chairlift while the wolves circled underneath, waiting for their next meal. Joe somehow reaches the surface and promises Parker that he will bring help as soon as possible. However, he soon finds himself under attack by a pack of wolves.
Hours turn into a whole night, and there’s no sign of Joe’s return. With desperation setting in, Parker realizes she can’t survive one more night. Despite the odds, she descends again, but the fall results in her losing her leg. Summoning all her strength, Parker drags herself to the road and encounters Joe’s mauled corpse. Struggling but determined, Parker inches closer to the roadside and eventually loses consciousness. Fortunately, a passing car stops and the driver rushes to help her and takes her to the hospital, marking the end of the movie.
Despite its genre, “Frozen” is about more than simply the horrors of survival. It focuses on the characters’ internal moral conflicts, the choices they make, and the repercussions of those choices. The movie does a good job of making you nervous, both because of the wolves and because of the protagonists’ own emotional state.
