The Last Winter (2006)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Larry Fessenden

Writers:

Larry Fessenden (writer)
Robert Leaver (writer)

Release Date:

24 September 2008 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

What if mankind only had one season left on Earth?

Plot:

The American oil company KIC Corporation is building an ice road to explore the remote Northern Arctic...

Plot Keywords:

Oil Company | Arctic Region | Sanity | Fire | Oil Drilling

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ron Perlman	...	Ed Pollack
James LeGros	...	James Hoffman
Connie Britton	...	Abby Sellers
Zach Gilford	...	Maxwell McKinder
Kevin Corrigan	...	Motor
Jamie Harrold	...	Elliot Jenkins
Pato Hoffmann	...	Lee Means
Joanne Shenandoah	...	Dawn Russell
Larry Fessenden	...	Charles Foster
Oscar Miller	...	Simon Marshowitz
Hálfdán Theodórsson	...	Gary
Eggert Ketilsson	...	Frozen Trucker
Jack Fessenden	...	Young Hoffman
John Speredakos	...	Weatherman
Halfdan Pedersen	...	Doctor Pedersen (as Hálfdan Lárus Pedersen)

Also Known As:

Síðasti veturinn (Iceland)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | Iceland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A | USA:Not Rated | UK:15 | Germany:16 | Denmark:15 | Australia:M | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company:

Antidote Films (I)

Trivia:

Arist Brahm Revel illustrated a comic book adaptation of this film.

Movie Connections:

References Wendigo (2001)

Soundtrack:

My Baby Just Cares For Me

Engaging and creepy... and also plot less and pointless.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to say about this one. It's loaded with so much promise - a cast of engaging characters; a bleak, isolated setting; slow-burn direction that builds a creepy atmosphere.

But that's where the good stuff ends.

The plot (or lack thereof) seems to involve the deaths of the aforementioned characters in random, arbitrary ways with no explanations offered. A few "ecological revenge" lines are thrown but they do little to clue the viewer in to what's actually supposed to be going on. To be completely honest - I don't think even the writer and director knew what was going on. I get the feeling they said:

"Hey let's make this creepy film set in an arctic drilling station, kinda like 'The Thing'..."

"Cool, so what's the plot?"

"Ummm, I don't know, I don't think it matters. Characters can die!"

"Cool, so what's killing them?"

"Ummm, I don't know, I don't think it matters."

"I guess not. Let's get started then!"