Wind Chill (2007)

I'm sure some folks (particularly those who dine on a regular diet of horror films) won't find this movie to be terribly scary. Personally, it scared the shiznit out of me.

As others have noted, it's more of a psychological thriller than a gorefest. I prefer these kinds of movies.

Yes, it has some slow moments, but it builds up in terms of intensity.

For reference, I watched Silent Hill, and was just not as impressed with that movie as this one. That film was what I would call "over the top." The Ring is another horror movie that I consider scary as hell. (American version, I haven't seen the original Japanese.)

Overall verdict: This is a lower-budget, scary-as-hell, closer-to-life psychological horror movie that in my personal opinion is well underrated.

Fmovies: Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes play two nameless college students who share a ride home for the holidays. On the way from Pennsylvania to Delaware, their car becomes stranded in a snow bank far away from civilization. Soon they are being haunted by the ghosts of all the numerous people who died earlier in the very spot that seems intent on claiming two fresh victims.

"Wind Chill" is a modest little horror outing whose admirable restraint and sense of atmosphere don't quite compensate for its overall lack of energy and incoherent storyline. It takes quite awhile for the plot to kick itself into gear, and even when it does, the movie ends not with a bang but with a whimper.

"Wind Chill" is certainly preferable to an out-and-out gore-fest like "Saw" or "Hostel," but a few more runs through the typewriter (or word processor, as the case may be) might have gone a long way towards making it a more satisfying and scary film. Like the car stuck in the snowdrift, the audience at "Wind Chill" ultimately finds itself stranded in the middle of nowhere.

It is a surrealistic film, like a nightmare. Very claustrophobic n heavy on atmosphere. Saw this first in 2007 on a DVD. Revisited it recently. The movie is about a college girl who is trying to get home on Christmas break. She hitches a ride with a complete stranger by getting his number thru a college ride board. Strangely, the stranger knows everything about her. The stranger takes a short cut through the forests..... The acting by the two leads were very good, especially Blunt. The director did a good job with the settings n atmosphere. The story was decent but audiences may find shades of Dead end, The Abandoned 2006, Triangle, No mans land aka Reeker 2 n Haunter. Also ther r aspects in this movie which ain't original. In this movie u can make out when the terror is approaching when the song starts playing in the car a la Jeepers creepers style. Also most of the film is shot in the car a la Joy ride n Penny dreadful. The score is very good, in particular the piece at the beginning and end. Very haunting n sad. Despite nearly the entire film being set in the broken down car n almost in one location it never gets boring.

Wind Chill fmovies. 2007's "Wind Chill" is a mystery/horror film about a college gal (Emily Blunt) sharing a 6-hour ride with a male student (Ashton Holmes) home to Delaware from Pennsylvania. The guy is supposed to be a stranger but it turns out he knows more about her than anticipated. The story takes a tragic ghostly turn when they get stranded on Route 606 in the bitter evening cold.

I should point out right away that "Wind Chill" is inexplicably rated 'R'; there's really nothing in the film that should warrant such a rating -- there's no sex, very little cussing (realistic, not overkill) and hardly any gore. If you want that see "Cabin Fever" or "Friday the 13th." "Wind Chill" shoots for something more profound, haunting and classy, like "The Mothman Prophecies".

The film is what I would call an "isolated environment" movie wherein the main characters are stuck in a confined situation for the better part of the picture, like in "Prey" where a woman and her two stepkids are stuck in a jeep fending off lions or "The Mist" where the characters are barricaded in a supermarket from the onslaught of otherworldly creatures. This scenario tended to work against those films as the confined setting became tedious (although "The Mist" redeems itself with one of the most unforgettable, awe-inspiring climaxes in film history) (and I still think "Prey" is worth catching for nature-runs-amok enthusiasts). By contrast, the confined setting somehow works in "Wind Chill." How so? I would chalk it up to great writing, acting and movie-making.

Think about it, there are essentially only two characters in this entire 91-minute film. For it to work it HAS to have stellar casting, writing and acting. It dawned on me while watching that "Wind Chill" is largely a dialogue-driven picture; the banter between the two protagonists pulled me in and sustained my interest, which isn't easy seeing as how "isolated environment" movies tend to try the viewer's patience & interest by their very nature.

Emily Blunt is easy on the eyes (what an understatement) but comes off a bit witchy and therefore unattractive initially, yet this plays into what the film is really about. Isn't this a mystery/horror flick? Yes, but the ghostly trappings are merely a stage for a tale of redemption. Unfortunately redemption always has a hefty price tag, not to mention love must fit into the mix somewhere. So, at its core, "Wind Chill" is a mystery chiller of love and redemption. Who it is that needs redeemed and why I'll leave to you to figure out, as well as who pays the price.

The score is awe-inspiring, in particular the piece at the beginning and end (and during the credits).

Although the story takes place in the East the film was shot in British Columbia. These are great locations, of course, but I'm starting to weary of the fact that 90% of these types of flicks are shot in B.C. Incidentally, the tale obviously occurs in Eastern Pennsylvania in light of a reference to Harrisburg on the radio and the I-476 highway sign (I-476 runs North-to-South from Scranton to Philadelphia).

I have a couple of cavils: When they're stranded on the country road it never looks nearly as cold as it's supposed to be, and is it believable that any college student, let alone a hot babe, would know about the junction box and phone jack on top of a telephone pole

For Christmas break, a bitchy college girl (Emily Blunt) is in desperate need of a ride home to Delaware. When a classmate (Ashton Holmes) overhears this, he puts up an ad on the school's billboard since he has a crush on her. She winds up taking the ride, but it soon becomes obvious that he's a tad bit obsessed with her. Naturally, this leads to a tense atmosphere for the long drive home, so he takes a shortcut. While heading down this lonely road, they're involved in an accident which leaves them stranded in the snow. With no one around to help and the cold reaching below zero temperatures, their situation isn't exactly enviable. It becomes even less so when they realize that this isolated stretch of road is haunted by unsettling apparitions, one of which is quite dangerous.

I've been extremely fond of Emily Blunt ever since I first saw her in 2004's "My Summer of Love". Aside from being a stellar talent, she's a stunning girl and infinitely charming. The film is worth seeing just for her, but her co-star, Ashton Holmes, is much better here than he was in "A History of Violence". I found him so annoying in that film, but here, he was actually likable. What a shock!

The film is definitely creepy at times. Thankfully, no weak jump scares either. It's all built up subtly through mood, atmosphere and shadows. There's one especially effective scene about halfway through. You'll know it when you see it, but I'll just say it reminded me of a similarly unnerving scene from Wes Craven's underrated "The Serpent and the Rainbow".

I was thrilled to see Clint Mansell's name in the opening credits, as I knew right away that the film would have a particularly strong score. It did wonders for the film's tone, and especially shone through during the ending. Speaking of which, the ending is somewhat on the weak side. It seemed too simple, and the connection between these two characters wasn't strong enough to support it. Actually, they're pretty much at odds with each other for the majority of the picture, so there's hardly a connection at all. It speaks volumes about the power of Mansell's score, as it manages to give the ending a feeling of emotional weight where there otherwise would be none.

In spite of the film's closing moments, this deserved a wider release. The scenes on the deserted road are effective and moody, while Blunt has talent to burn. It isn't perfect, but it's a good little film with more to offer than some of the filth that hits 3000+ screens nationwide. Think of it as a sort of ghost story by way of urban legend, which is supported by the characters just being referred to as "Boy" and "Girl" in the closing credits.

Before you read my ramblings, let me cut to the chase and just say that you need to see this movie if you're into HORROR (not gore). I was sitting in my hotel room wondering what movie I should fork over $13.99 for to kill some time. I'm a fan of horror movies and have been disappointed by pretty much everything since Sixth Sense. So-called horror movies these days are really slasher films that merely come up with more inventive ways of killing and maiming. More funny and / or predictably stupid after awhile than scary. So the quality of Wind Chill was a real surprise. The characters really get you into the movie from the get-go--even when the movie isn't scary. There's plenty of subtle hints that had me going every which way trying to predict the end of the movie. Was he a whack-job intent on killing her? Did he already know about this place and went there on purpose? Was he in cahoots with the people at the gas station? I was pleasantly way-off in all of my predictions. Also, there were little things in the movie that built my anxiety without slapping me in the face with its obviousness, like, hey, you guys left a bag! I've forgotten stuff so many times that seeing it happen to someone else and not being able to do anything about it had me talking to the TV (which I don't normally do) telling them they had left a bag behind. Emily Blunt plays a great attitudinally-impaired hottie with brains and Ashton Holmes skillfully plays a college guy that sometimes appears semi-normal and at other times might just be on the verge of craziness. Both actors did a great job at pulling me into the movie, and I'm surprised that I didn't hear more about this movie when it was in theaters. Believe it or not, I think it was worth $13.99 to finally see another really good horror movie. Kudos to everyone that put this really good film together.