Cold Hell Review: A young woman finds herself the target of a deadly madman after witnessing a murder.
Cold Hell Review
Özge (Violetta Schurawlow) drives cabs around Vienna for a living. Traumatised by her past, Özge has detached herself from everything in her life – faith, love, etc. – with the exception of her cousin. One night after returning to her apartment, Özge accidentally witnesses a serial killer mid-murder. She then becomes the next target for the killer; rather than wait for the authorities to help, Özge takes matters into her own hands and starts to hunt the hunter.
Cold Hell (or Die Hölle in its native tongue) has a lot working for it. First off is the performance by its leading lady, Violetta Schurawlow. Schurawlow is relatively new to the acting world, with only a handful of roles so far, but here she showcases that she is a force to be reckoned with. In many ways her turn as Özge is reminiscent of Noomi Rapace in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She plays Özge as tough, resilient, and intelligent – a deadly mix in a female protagonist. Her tumultuous past has seen her have to harden her heart, but she’s not just simply cold-hearted, Özge also has a lot of warmth hidden within her. Somehow Schurawlow manages to play Özge as simultaneously strong and delicate, it’s an incredible performance.
Cold Hell Review
In its narrative, Cold Hell shares a lot with the serial-killer crime film. It feels very much like a Seven or The Bone Collector. It’s a film genre that has flown under the radar over the last few years, but Cold Hell makes it relevant again and one that really is worth your time. We’re in the midst of a lot of ghost and demon-led horror films in the mainstream, but films like Cold Hell prove that man is way scarier than any supernatural being. A film in this genre is made or broken by its story, ‘mystery’, and killer motives, and Cold Hell has a fresh and intriguing slant on all three. No spoilers from us, but this one feels eerily conceivably real. That alone is enough to send shivers down the spine.
Cold Hell Review
The visuals round off the final important component of this type of film. Director Stefan Ruzowitzky wrings every last drop of atmosphere from each and every frame. Everything is shot to appear dark and moody, and really helps set the tone. Then there’s the grubby, gritty quality to the city setting, everything feels a little seedy and therefore more tangibly real. Adding further layers to the visuals are the rainy, neon-soaked nighttime cityscapes. All elements combine to create a fictional world that feels anything but.
Led by a performance to rival Noomi Rapace in the Millennium Trilogy, Cold Heart is a strong and vibrant genre film. Engaging and visually arresting, Cold Hell takes the serial killer thriller to the next level.
Cold Hell review by Kat Hughes, August 2017.
Cold Hell is currently playing as part of the Horror Channel Frighfest 2017 programme.
