The Frozen Ground

Directed by Scott Walker. Starring Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens.

The harrowing true story of a vicious serial killer is reduced to clichéd late night TV movie fodder in this tacky, dull tale. Based on the Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen, who murdered over 20 women from 1980 to 1983, The Frozen Ground is ripe with interesting ideas: the specific psychological profile of Hansen; the sleazy underbelly of Anchorage; the misogyny that prevented victims’ testimony from being taken seriously, etc.
But there’s an overwhelming sense of bad taste to this bland procedural thriller, right down to the end credits, where photos of Hansen’s real-life victims are displayed onscreen, accompanied by a gasp-inducingly inappropriate soundtrack of cheesy soft rock.
The cast seem to be on a shared and painfully transparent journey to prove themselves as “serious” actors. Thus, Nic Cage is restrained as the hackneyed soon-to-be-retired investigative cop; John Cusack follows up his turn in The Paperboy as another sleazy, nasty murderer; and Vanessa Hudgens wants you to know that she no longer belongs to the Disney Corporation by playing a hooker with a heart of gold.
Oh, and 50 Cent is there playing an inarticulate pimp. Hey, sometimes you have to play to type.
While the three leads are fine, if never inspiring, they’re hindered by a horribly clunky, often hilarious, CSI: Miami-lite script that relies on emotional clichés as much as it does implausibly stupid action. By revealing Cusack as the killer immediately, director Scott Walker fails to create tension, and he also neglects to explore the character’s psychology or motives.
Standing over a corpse, Horatio Caine-style, Cage asks: “Have you ever seen anybody do anything like this before?” Yes. Many times. And better.