Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Freezer Blu-ray Movie Review

A tepid reception.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 3, 2014

To be blunt, winter 2014 hasn't been too kind to the vast majority of Americans. Water cooler talk -- if the water cooler's contents haven't frozen solid, that is -- is all about the so-called "Polar Vortex" and what seems like the endless arctic air masses descending on the continental United States, driving up electric bills and blanket sales while lowering school attendance and body temperatures. Even the deep South and its traditionally moderate winter climate has been hit hard; Texas to the northernmost parts of Florida have felt the effects of bitter cold, life-threatening wind chills, and accumulated ice and snow. All that said, being stuck in a freezer might not sound all that bad in comparison. Add in a criminal element, guns pointed at faces, and a victim who swears up and down he knows nothing about the money these folks want and suddenly being stuck at school or shoveling out from a pile of the white stuff seems the better option. Freezer tells the story of a man trapped in a cold environment, forced to do what he can to keep warm but also unravel the mystery of why he's in there and why a handful of foreign thugs put him there to die.

Anything to escape.

Birthday boy Robert (Dylan McDermott) finds himself trapped in a walk-in restaurant cooler. He's confused and cold, searching for a means of escape when two men who don't speak English enter and harass him, finally conveying to him that he's been locked away because he has a large sum of money that they want. He claims he's a simple mechanic on a birthday date with his girlfriend, certainly not the holder of millions of dollars. Later, the men return, this time with Alisa (Yuliya Snigir), their beautiful and flirtatious accomplice who further tries, but fails, to convince Robert to drop the façade and help them locate the money. Robert has only hours to live, and when his shoes are taken, his outlook grows even grimmer. As the clock ticks away, he must come to accept his fate or turn the tables on his captors, using either brains or brawn to escape his frigid tomb.

Freezer wastes no time with set-up; it smartly begins when Robert is dumped into the frigid death trap and pushes forward with the story from there. The picture generates a fair bit of intrigue to start and sufficiently, but not thoroughly, explores the environment and Robert's attempts at escape. Yet the mere process of survival isn't the film's selling point. It's more or less a device through which the storytellers unfold the narrative that involves Robert's dealings with a handful of captors who claim he's somebody other than a simple mechanic, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and mistaken for someone else. The picture builds toward a series of revelations from both inside and outside the chilly room that advance the plot and the characters' understanding of what's really at play. Unfortunately, it's all rather stale. The film advances forward for the inevitable twist that's frankly more predicable anymore than a simple, straight narrative. The "twist" has become the expected outcome thanks to a proliferation of movies just of this sort, not with the same dynamic but the same drive towards an ending that reshapes the entirety of the plot in mere moments. It's fine in a vacuum, but the overexposure of the style, particularly in these smaller pictures, is arguably Freezer's own worst enemy.

Indeed, the film's primary focus of mystery exploration actually interferes with the more interesting angle of a man trapped in a cold location with little hope for escape. It never searches the man beyond the superficial, examining the hardships of the scenario beyond depicting his on-and-off efforts to keep warm and escape. Certainly, that would get in the way of the main storyline, but the promising scenario seems only a backdrop that could have been substituted with any number of other, equally uncomfortable confinement locations. Films like the superior and similarly titled Frozen do a much better job of focusing on the man, the problem at hand, and the survival aspect of a particular peril. Even the iffy 247° F found a little more interest and tension from its "trapped" scenario. Freezer feels wasted on the less interesting of its dueling stories, particularly given the aforementioned lack of surprise at the trendy "twist" ending. Yet the film is more than watchable. It's nicely crafted and, generally, acted to satisfaction. Veteran Dylan McDermott gives an interesting performance as the man locked away in frigid temperatures. His, pardon the pun, "cool" demeanor is put to the test every time a gun is placed to this temple but still maintains a quick wit and stays fast on his feet even in the most dangerous scenarios.

Freezer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Freezer's high definition transfer warrants a warm welcome to the Blu-ray family. Anchor Bay's presentation delivers a clear, accurate image, one with well-defined details and solid colors. Image clarity is a strength. Facial textures appear natural in every scene, and within the single location audiences will discover intimate details on cardboard boxes, metallic surfaces, plastic dividers, and an animal carcass or two. Colors aren't necessarily chilly, but there's a predominant blue-gray-black feel to the movie. Backgrounds favor a silvery shading, and most clothes are black or darkly colored. Still, red lipstick, pink pig bodies, and other bright shades stand out against the backdrop, and do so naturally. Black levels are even and deep, rarely succumbing to crush or excess brightness. Skin tones appear natural. The transfer features no major instances of banding, blockiness, or noise. Overall, this is a high end presentation from Anchor Bay.

Freezer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

One might believe that a single-location movie such as Freezer may not offer much in terms of its sound design and its Blu-ray audio presentation. While this is not a dynamic, forceful track, there are plenty of simple elements that help build the environment and add to the picture's atmosphere. Fans constantly whir and the freezer hums along, both filling the stage and all but transforming it into the chilly environment. Action sounds effects such as punches, thuds, and metal-on-metal beating action play with appropriate force, volume, and stage presence. A blaring smoke detector penetrates the stage in one scene with startling realism. Music is limited, generally, to deep, airy, foreboding sort of notes. Here, bass proves suitably potent but never overextends the music, while the notes float through the stage, surrounds included, with seamless presence. Dialogue is well defined, from painful, cold whispers to angry shouts. Overall, this is a rock-solid listen from Anchor Bay.

Freezer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Freezer contains a few brief extras.

• Freezer: Behind it All (HD, 3:36): Cast and crew cover the plot, what they believe makes the movie work, shooting in freezing temperatures, set design, and more.
• Dylan McDermott Interview (HD, 2:15): The actor discusses the story basics and his character's arc.
• Peter Facinelli Interview (HD, 1:47): The actor speaks on his character's role in the film.
• Director Mikael Salomon Interview (HD, 2:31): Misleading title. The piece actually features cast and crew praising the director's work and style.
• DVD Copy.
• UV Digital Copy.

Freezer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Freezer is by no means a great movie, and neither is it a mar on the cinema landscape. It's the quintessential modern time killer, a play-it-cool Thriller with meager aspirations and acceptable execution. It's almost wasted by focusing on the problem of lesser interest at hand and is further reduced by a twist ending most will see coming a mile away. Nevertheless, it's fairly acted but just not all that psychologically gripping or mentally challenging. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Freezer comes as a rather standard package. Solid video and audio are flanked by a handful of extras. Give it a rent on a warm day, assuming there ever is another warm day.