Freeze

Writer, director and much more, Charlie Steeds is one of the stalwarts of UK independent horror film production. And he’s prolific with shorts and some twelve features’ films since 2014, with some in post-production. There’s no arguing with his work ethic.

Freeze is set in the North Pole with Captain Mortimer (Rory Wilton) on a mission aboard HMS Innsmouth to find his old friend Captain Streiner (Tim Cartwright) of the HMS Eibon, bring him back and find out what happened to him and his crew.

As the mission approaches the Pole so the ice starts to pack in and there’s a danger that the Mortimer’s mission could end up stranded themselves. They push on and the ship is compromised with the crew having to abandon because of the ice and because of an attack by fish monsters, with a taste for flesh.

As is the nature of these things there are differences between the commanding officers as well as a crew who are bordering on the mutinous. Nevertheless they push on across the ice finding a cave system with what’s left of Streiner’s crew and the captain himself. He has set himself up as leader of the creatures and having their confidence is not going to give that up, especially as he has other plans.

Freeze actually looks pretty good with some great wide snowy landscapes, taking advantage of being able to film on a glacier and a real cave system. The crew’s costuming is good too so there’s solid base to the film.

Where the difficulties are with a plot that is all too familiar and vaguely reminiscent of The Terror, though this was clearly made on a far, far inferior budget. Also the references to Innsmouth, Eibon and the sea creatures being the ‘deep ones’ make it all too obvious there’s this is some respect a homage to HP Lovecraft’s mythos, and it appears forced and clumsy.

The fish monster costumes are ropey and while there’s plenty of gore they not frightening on any level. As for the acting, that is ok, the actors working with some choice dialogue that lets the cast rip away at each other with some gusto.