This Swedish film does its best to convince you that it’s an American production; shot in English, with the cast adopting faux US accents and talking like characters from any American movie (unless, of course, this is how people in Sweden normally talk, in which case apologies). It’s a pity that the filmmakers feel that they have to hide their identity, as this is a solid, retro-styled slasher movie.

Hanna Oldenberg plays Winona, a rock star who is taking a break in her home town. The house her manager has rented turns out to be a dump – though as we discover, she’s actually made a mistake and gone to a different house, one that is home to a psychotic cannibal who doesn’t much care for visitors. After meeting her ex and his mates in a local bar, the four of them end up back at the house for beer and sex, but the masked psycho is waiting for them, and soon, Winona is alone, stumbling through the maze-like building and discovering an underground bunker where the flesh-hungry killer takes his victims.

Blood Runs Cold was shot for $5000 on a Canon 5D, and looks remarkable for it – you would not guess that this wasn’t a regularly budgeted film or that it was made on a DSLR. In fact, director Sonny Laguna makes good use of the technical limitations of the 5D, giving the dramatic scenes a shaky desperation that fits well with the action, and makes the snow-bound locations look suitably atmospheric.

Hanna Oldenberg gives a good performance as the heroine, especially as her character is dumb even by slasher movie standards – finding a room with blood splashed across the floor and her friends missing, she treats it more as a minor irritation than a cause for some concern, and her determination to open doors, enter rooms and generally go exactly where she knows the killer is will have you slapping your head in frustration. But the maniac is an effective, indestructible bogeyman, the gore is plentiful and the scenes that directly copy Halloween can be taken as tributes rather than rip-offs.

As a slasher movie, Blood Runs Cold offers nothing particularly new, but is nevertheless very entertaining, tightly paced and lively. Well worth a look.

DAVID FLINT

BUY IT NOW (UK)