The Last Winter

[Zero]

Just watched The Last Winter - an indie horror film by Larry Fessenden starring Ron Perelman (ok he's not the star but the only 'star' in the flick).

The movie takes place in the Alaskan National Arctic Park where an oil company is being given permission to drill - if they are ecologically sensitive. The small cast is placed in this remote site and tensions start to erupt between the environmental overseer and the big boss - played by Perelman. Added to these internal tensions is the weather that is becoming totally unpredictable with 40 degrees and rain in February (a time there should be a deep and permanent freeze). Things start to spiral out of control as members of the team start seeing visions and going insane. Is this some kind of bad gas leaking up from the defrosting permafrost? Or is it the spirits of nature being set free (petroleum is, after all, made up of dead plants and animals - a kind of graveyard of nature).

Overall, I liked it - great atmosphere - kind of a cross between The Thing and The Shining. The low budget made the effects a bit hoaky and some of the film seemed to drag (sort of pushing the atmospheric nature a bit too far). There were also a few utterly unexplained events (a plane crashes though I'm not quite sure why). But the ending was GREAT and made the whole film worthwhile!

Big monkey thumbs up from me!