The cold, nerve-wracking scenery in Cold Meat gives viewers the chills and uncomfortable feelings of detrimental suspense.Written and directed by Sebastien Drouin, this thriller is a dark,anxiety-ridden narrative about a struggle for survival. The torrential danger in Cold Meat displays serious realism where personality and trust are tested. Cold Meat is a film that is stressful because it takes its audience by surprise and makes its think. Cold Meat’s direction is superb and relentless.

Cold Meat takes place in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The film introduces its audience to David (played by Allen Leech). Allen stops by a diner for a meal. The waitress is Anna (played by Nina Bergman) and as she continues to look after taking David’s food order, her abusive and alcoholic ex-husband Vincent (played by Yan Tual) walks in. He belittles Anna and throws her under the bus. Vincent is one of the most verbally abusive and aggressive people imaginable. David witnesses the abuse and stands up for Anna. After overhearing the couple’s argument about the custody of their child, David puts Vincent in his place and says to Vincent, “So the real question is how much do you love your daughter?”

After this conflict, the film jumps to another scenario which is even more dangerous. Vincent follows David when he is driving. The weather is extremely treacherous with heavy snow and high winds. David’s car ends up stuck in the blizzard. When he gets out of his car to find safety, he realizes Anna is in the back of his car tied-up with duct-tape. The alarming premise of Cold Meat grows more challenging when David and Anna must figure out how to escape the snow and get out safely.

Cold Meat’s writing involves a trail of questions. How did Anna get tied up in David’s car? David’s car displays evidence that prompts questions about Anna’s safety. Did Victor put Anna in David’s Trunk? Did David put Anna in his trunk? Is David a hidden psychopath? Can Anna and David survive the blizzard? The anxiety in the treacherous situation displays unsmiling realism and creates conflicts. The picture painted makes it seem like it is the ex-husband who is the psycho in Cold Meat. By putting the pieces together, it appears that Vincent may not be the only one who is insane. The evidence in David’s car is shadyand includes pictures and IDs of other girls.  Anna fears for her life in the presence of David and the weather only makes their survival less likely. The reality of what is happening in Cold Meat is a deep adventure to find the truth.

The unforeseeable circumstances in a location where safety is not guaranteed makes for great suspense. Cold Meat contains unexpected realizations in a life-threatening situation. The scenes with Anna and David stuck in the car in a blizzard buildsuspense. Will someone survive? Will someone save them? Will the weather kill them both?

The faded lighting creates an environment which connects to the detrimental light of the situation. While the film’s opening contains a harsh dynamic between the characters, that dynamic only grows more serious. The film’s use of severe weather to create an impact on physical and mental conditions really sold me on Cold Meat. It is compelling and unpredictable. Three out of four stars for Cold Meat.