Despite being rather formulaic and predictable (as true crime can be), the film is bolstered by strong performances, beautiful photography and assured direction by first-time director Scott Walker. The story is is about an investigation into a series of unsolved disappearances when one of the victims manages to escape. Nicolas Cage plays the sergeant in charge of the investigation and John Cusack plays the serial killer. Both give solid performances, and the cat-and-mouse game that ensues will keep you on the edge of your seat. Vanessa Hudgens does an OK job as the victim who escapes, a prostitute/stripper who is down on her luck and always trying to run from her problems. She did manage to be convincing most of the time, although she does have work to do if she's going to be taken seriously as an actress. Also, since this movie was produced in 2011, this might have had something to do with her casting in Harmony Korine's SPRING BREAKERS. Returning back to the story, there really are no surprises narrative-wise due to this being a crime procedural, but the material is elevated by the quality of the filmmaking. One thing I didn't expect to see was Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson appear in a minor role as the pimp of Vanessa Hudgens' character Cindy. I've never really been a big fan of him as an actor, but fortunately his role wasn't too major. There were also a couple other small roles that weren't acted too well, but they didn't have too much of a negative effect on the overall picture. Anyway, I can highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys these type of movies. The lurid material is dealt with sensitively, even if it isn't too deep, and above all the strong central performances make this a riveting watch from beginning to end.
Review of The Frozen Ground
