Cold Fever

1994

1h 23m

Comedy

Drama

List

95%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Japanese man (Masatoshi Nagase) finds misadventure and eccentric characters while in Iceland to perform a memorial service for his parents.

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Audience Member

This has been one of my very favorite movies of all time. I love the panoramas of the frozen country, rugged, cold, bitter and brittle juxtaposed with the story of loss and ultimately forgiveness with love, differences of societies and expectations, mysticism and truths. The harsh externals and complications of all that is internal...I'm sounding lofty; it was just a wonderful movie. I thought the characters were fun. Anyway, a lovely way to spend some time. Enjoy!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This has been one of my very favorite movies of all time. I love the panoramas of the frozen country, rugged, cold, bitter and brittle juxtaposed with the story of loss and ultimately forgiveness with love, differences of societies and expectations, mysticism and truths. The harsh externals and complications of all that is internal...I'm sounding lofty; it was just a wonderful movie. I thought the characters were fun. Anyway, a lovely way to spend some time. Enjoy!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excuse the pun, but it is a cold film to start with. Took me over it's halfway mark to warm to it (ahem), but I'm really glad I sat through to its wonderful end. Very rewarding.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A gem of a road movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Waste of a good premise about a reluctant young Japanese man in Iceland to give traditional funeral rites for his parents. Nice end spoiled long before by a long string of senseless wacky characters including a couple who argue using hand puppets.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a japanese man stranded in the mystical landscape of iceland on a mission to conduct the final tribute for his late parents. a weird but entertaining road movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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Friðrik Þór Friðriksson

Director

Masatoshi Nagase

Hirata

Lili Taylor

Jill

Fisher Stevens

Jack

Gisli Halldorsson

Siggi

Laura Hughes

Laura

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

If Cold Fever takes too long to come into focus to be fully satisfying, it nonetheless has an undeniably endearing quality. It also looks great and has a driving, eclectic music track.

Jan 10, 2017

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Strange, often funny, and occasionally beautiful.

Jan 10, 2017

Full Review

Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

Like Iceland itself, Cold Fever may seem a trip most audiences initially will reject -- as too distant, too strange, too icebound. They're wrong. Once seen, this cold, feverish wonderland is never forgotten.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 10, 2017

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Finely tuned English speaking comical road movie set in Iceland.

Rated: B

Jun 3, 2018

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 4/5

Dec 18, 2004

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Film4 Staff

Film4

Masatoshi Nagase is mesmerizing in the central role, a model of restraint even when confronted with the quirks of the characters he meets on his journey.

Oct 4, 2003

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Synopsis

A Japanese man (Masatoshi Nagase) finds misadventure and eccentric characters while in Iceland to perform a memorial service for his parents.

Director: Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 23m