[Wind Chill]
Plot:Two college students share a ride home for the holidays. When they break down on a deserted stretch of road, they're preyed upon by the ghosts of people who have died there.

Cast: Ashton Holmes, Martin Donovan, Ned Bellamy, Ian A. Wallace, Donny James Lucas, Chelan Simmons, Darren Moore, Linden Banks, Caz Odin Darko, Heath Horejda.

My Thoughts:Hypothermia!!!

Review:Well I finally got around to seeing "Wind Chill" and to be honest, it wasn't that bad. I really thought this movie was going to be quite the disaster, considering it was just dumped into theaters in the spring time on under 300 screens. But it wasn't. The film follows a shy college student who during christmas break, gives a difficult college girl a ride to her christmas vacation destination. On the way, despite some interesting and entertaining conversation, the two don't manage to hit if off very well, and to make matters worse, a mysterious car causes them to spin out and wind up in a deserted snow-filled ditch.

Usually in a situation like this, the first thing one would ask was why didn't they just call the police, or triple A? This is one of the films many plotholes, which serve to do it a great injustice. Especially when the dark, malevolent nature of the place they're stranded in becomes apparent. Seems some bad shit went down back in the day in said area, and the ghosts of the victims decide to walk by every now and then, just to scare the crap out of these two, and basically both kids are left stranded in deadly cold temperatures to piece the whole thing together.

It's really a creepy scene to watch, mainly because of the atmosphere and the snowstorm. Had this film taken place on a hot summer day, it probably would've drove me crazy with boredom. But for some reason the combination of the snow, the dead of night scenes, and the lack of any musical score really helped to give the movie a creepy edge to it. The acting of the two main characters also helped, for two young actors Blunt, and Holmes aren't bad at all.

Blunt herself is entertaining with her quick witted character always finding something to whine or complain about. And Holmes, as the ever patient male lead does an excellent job in making you feel sorry for the guy that he's even stuck in this horrible situation. Most of the ghosts aren't very interesting from a character standpoint once you've seen them more than once, but the mystery surrounding them and why they're there is intriguing enough to carry the film along at a good pace.

One of the ghosts in particular is a really nasty one who gets nastier as the film goes along and plays a major role in unfolding events near the pic's climax. Although "Wind Chill" has two great young lead's it would've helped if they had atleast been given names. This is the first horror film I've seen where the lead characters names aren't even mentioned. But the character development is much appreciated, and it's fun to watch these two build a relationship of sorts while stuck in this perilous situation, as Blunt's character thaws out (no pun intended), and Holmes character opens up more, and even eventually reveals to her his true motives behind offering her a ride.

Which turns out to be an interesting centerpiece in the budding relationship between the two, and while the film ends on a downer note....depending on who you are, you'll either be able to appreciate that or be angered and disappointed by the fact. Despite it's plotholes, and under-usage of it's eerie apparitions, "Wind Chill" still manages to reach the level of being a decent horror pic due to it's unique story, great acting, character development, and by being grossly atmospheric.

Positives:Great acting by Blunt and Holmes, very atmospheric, and a unique overall story.

Negatives:A very unfair ending, under-usage of the wandering spirits, some glaring plotholes, and a lack of backstory behind the ghosts.

Overall:Not bad, but not good either. A true break even horror film with untapped potential.





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