The Last Winter

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The Last Winter

Distributor: IFC First Take
Cast: Ron Perlman, James Le Gros and Connie Britton
Director: Larry Fessenden
Screenwriters: Larry Fessenden and Robert Leaver
Producers: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Larry Fessenden
Genre: Horror
Rating: Unrated
Running time: 107 min.
Release date: September 19, 2007 NY

The latest flick from acclaimed horror director Larry Fessenden (Wendigo) plays more like horror-lite. His main message here is that we have destroyed the environment beyond repair and are now about to endure the consequences. It’s a simple enough metaphor, but Fessenden’s style only complicates matters: He switches from straightforward drama to psychological thriller to horror with the finesse of a made-for-TV movie. The film follows a team sent to Alaska to prepare for the construction of an oil well. Team leader Pollack (Ron Perlman) and scientist Hoffman (James Le Gros) butt heads over the feasibility of the project—the most interesting aspect of the film. But, when inexplicable phenomena arise, Fessenden smacks us in the face with a horror film. There’s no subtlety to be found here, and no depth either—the performances are passable and the script simpleminded. Because Fessenden can’t get a rhythm going in this film to build to his big conclusion, he renders it silly.

- Barbara Goslawski

Sep 21, 2007