Wind Chill - Good 'character horror'

If you're expecting a 'horror' movie involving tonnes of blood and guts flying around the screen, courtesy of an army of undead ghouls or a man in an ice hockey mask, then this is definitely going to be a let-down.  Yes, it is a horror film, due to the 'supernatural' threat element that our protagonists have to face, but it's definitely in the 'slow burner' category, utilising the two main leads' ability to build up tension and, possibly more importantly, character.

Emily Blunt wasn't quite as well known as she is today, but even when she was starting out in Hollywood she was definitely able to prove that she was leading lady material, as, even without the help of her male co-star (Ashton Holmes), she's capable of carrying the film on her own.  The pair play a couple of university students who share a car across country to drive home for the holidays.  Unfortunately, they fall foul to a car accident and are forced to survive in the wilderness, soon finding that they aren't as alone as they first thought they were.

As I mentioned in the title, it's a 'character piece.' Much of the film is dialogue between the two as we slowly learn more and more about them.  In the hands of lesser actors (or a lesser script-writer) the movie could have been quite dull, however, due to the excellent leads, all talking in nicely snappy and moves their development along nicely.

I won't go into what they have to face out in the icy snow, but it's definitely an experience that neither will forget and offers them both the chance to face more than just some supernatural fears, but also some of their inner demons.

It's a 'simple' film with - basically - a single location, i.e. the car's crash sight and the story is about the two people and whether they'll make it through the night.  I enjoyed it and it's definitely a horror film you can easily enjoy if you're in the mood for something a little slower and tension-filled, rather than gore-filled.  If there is a negative I could find about it, it's that the 'back-story' behind the threat they have to face seems a little crowbarred in.  It could probably have been left up to the audience's imagination and we could have come to the same conclusion without the need for flashbacks.  Otherwise, a nice solid film and definitely one for Emily Blunt fans.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that