Coroner’s Report: The Last Winter

Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 1, 2008

Hello hellboys and hellgirls and welcome to the Day Late Edition of The Coroner’s Report. I could tell you a tale of dead bodies, late night trips to the desert, and the secret to washing out bloodstains (it was a busy week) but I’d rather just talk to you about The Last Winter. This flick, available now on DVD, stars Ron Perlman, James LeGros, and Connie Britton as part of a group looking into the reality of establishing a drilling operation in the Arctic region of Northern Alaska. Pollack (Perlman) is a company man, intent on bringing a pipeline in no matter what, Hoffman (LeGros) is there to judge the impact on the environment, and Abby (Britton) is in the middle both politically and emotionally.

Things become complicated and dangerous when the air and surface temperature begins rising rather quickly and a dangerous mixture of hydrogen and sulfur (H2S, hydrogen sulfide) may be leaking through the deteriorating permafrost, which may be further exacerbating the situation. As station crew start to undergo strange mental lapses, visions and creepy experiences begin. Is it an effect of the gas or something more sinister? The Last Winter has begun and no one may live to see another.

Kills

This week it might more accurate be called “Deaths,” but the “DILLeR” system doesn’t have the same ring to it. That isn’t to say there aren’t any good old fashioned killings, its just that Mother Nature does her part of helping create the madness and providing the bone chilling cold to take life. The kills aren’t inventive, but this isn’t that kind of a movie. There are a few surprises though, so don’t get caught napping. In the end, I figured about eleven people were dead.

Ills

We do get some blood, a puncture wound, severe nosebleeds, and some very bad burns. That is on top of the frozen bodies distorted by the cold and the birds that take eyeballs as lunches. Not an overly blood film but the images of the frozen bodies may be disturbing to some.

Lust

Again, this isn’t the slasher-gore horror I usually share with you folks, so there aren’t any bouncing fun bags of joy parading across the screen. We do get the older Connie Britton looking very cute and she’s kind enough to expose her underwear on two occasions. This film didn’t need the nudity, but she definitely rocked a sexy mature look throughout.

Learning

A lot of horror movies teach you who not to fuck with and on top of that list in real life is probably Mother Nature. There are also lessons about pride or hubris and how being stubborn gets you dead. Also probably a good idea not to venture into the Arctic Circle if you can at all help it.

Review

This is a pretty good flick. I liken it to Neil Marshall’s The Descent in that Descent was a good cave movie that had horror elements. Last Winter is a great arctic survival/isolation movie that also has supernatural elements. You could remove them and still have a good film. Technically the film looks great, the cinematography is crisp and clean and illustrates the barren lands perfectly. Of course, any film involving an Arctic Outpost will conjure up memories of John Carpenter’s The Thing and while not as good as that classic, it’s in the same realm and style and might make a good double feature. The acting is well done, each actor following a different path towards madness or isolation in a believable way. There are plenty of mysterious things that begin happening right at the one hour mark and we get some creepy images and sounds, the whisper of the wind, and a good score that really permeates some scenes and amps up the tension.

There is some questionable CGI sprinkled here and there that caught my eye, but its not a game ruiner. We get a glimpse of a supernatural type vision partway through the film and the name Wendigo is thrown around - a Native American spirit that tortures man to protect nature. The spirit becomes more pronounced later in the flick and, without giving anything away, I really dug on the design. You can clearly spot its inspiration (and there are a few pics online, stay away!) and I thought it worked well with the setting and the backstory. No, its not Santa Claus.

All in all I recommend this film for a tense bit of isolationist story telling with a positive, if sometimes slightly overbearing message about respecting and protecting the Earth. Turn the lights down low, grab a blanket, and settle in for The Last Winter. While it might not scare your pants off or gross you out, it will hold your attention the whole way through and prove an interesting ride through the desolate ice fields of Alaska.

Grade: B

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