Frozen

There’s a moral here: never bribe a ski-lift operator to let you have one last run before sundown. It’s the end of their weekend break and three students are heading for a final session when their ski chair comes to a halt, leaving the trio dangling 40 feet above hard-packed snow. At first their banter is cheerful, and they’re confident that someone will spot them. But once night draws in, the lights go out, the temperature falls and a series of eerie howls are heard echoing through the valley, their jokey demeanour morphs into chilled fear. Unless someone takes the plunge, all three will remain in a state of suspended animation.

Adam Green’s taut, toe-curling survival thriller is better than it should be: the concept and the characters’ behaviour are mostly plausible, the script is dark and funny, the acting is adequate, and the wildlife scenes are convincing. Sure, we can nitpick about continuity and tapered endings, but as low-key, low-budget filmmaking, ‘Frozen’ is a minor success.