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The Frozen Ground

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1:50

The Frozen Ground

R

Released Aug 23, 2013

1h 45m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

61%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

A teenage escapee (Vanessa Hudgens) provides a critical break in the case, as an Alaskan detective (Nicolas Cage) hunts a serial killer who has been preying on women for 13 years.

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Critics Consensus

Though this by-the-numbers true procedural seems basic, The Frozen Ground presents a welcome return for Nicolas Cage in a solid performance.

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

You’ll still find the tension has you gripping your seat, thanks to the taut cat and mousery between ol’ Con Air co-stars Cusack and Cage.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 5, 2017

Full Review

Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

"The Frozen Ground" trucks in cliche, as most serial killer and police procedural films do, but the strength of the acting (from the leads down to people with only one or two lines) helps ground the film.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 27, 2013

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Lou Lumenick

New York Post

A taut procedural with atmospheric location work that traces Cage's clock-racing efforts to find evidence against Cusack ...

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 23, 2013

Full Review

JD Duran

InSession Film

Nicholas Cage and John Cusack are at their best in quite sometime here.

Rated: A-

Aug 16, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Only Patrick Murguia’s on-location photography of the Alaskan wilderness holds any notable merit.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 25, 2022

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Nerve-wracking, nail biting and blood curdling, The Frozen Ground will send chills down your spine while warming your heart.

Nov 27, 2019

Full Review

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babarizam D

Its a terrible movie, bad script and filled with flaws.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/18/25

Full Review

Daniel N

Intense movie. The photos of the real life victims at the end are very powerful.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

Full Review

Mario V

Lots of action, violence. Good plot & acting

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/28/25

Full Review

Kirsten W

This is my favorite Nicolas Cage movie. Probably my favorite John Cusack movie too. Really interesting story and characters.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

Full Review

Pauline H

No character development. An amazing story, poorly executed. If you want to hear the story in-depth, I recommend Psychopedia podcast.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/23/24

Full Review

nadalee m

This movie had a ton of potential. It’s a gripping and devastatingly horrible true story, and the Alaskan setting makes it that much more chilling (no pun intended). Sadly, this movie falls flat. Poor storytelling, poor pacing, and above all, poor acting. Nicholas Cage was okay, not his worst performance ever but nothing special. Cusack was semi-engaging yet cliche and predictable as the killer. I think he could have shined had he been given better counterparts and a better script. Vanessa Hudgens was a complete disaster… she ruined the movie for me. She had a terrible fake “ghetto accent” that she would turn on and off randomly throughout the film. She didn’t sell the part at all; everything about her acting was terrible. Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris was the only one who delivered a believable performance, and his role was small. For a thriller, the movie dragged in places. It lacked suspense, which is surprising given the source material. The “gotcha” moment where Cage/Hudgens catch the killer offered very little emotional payoff. The whole film leaves a lot to be desired. Such a shame because, as I said, there was a lot of potential and it was wasted on a subpar film.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/24

Full Review

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Scott Walker

Director

Nicolas Cage

Jack Holcombe

John Cusack

Robert Hansen

Vanessa Hudgens

Cindy Paulson

50 Cent

Pimp Clate Johnson

Radha Mitchell

Allie Halcombe

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - The Truth Comes Out

2:59

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - Pole Dancing

2:37

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - Hunting Her

2:55

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - From Bad to Worse

3:00

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - Chained

2:56

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - He's Coming

2:26

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - Shock at the Strip Club

1:53

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - The Interrogation

3:00

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - The Lucky One

2:18

The Frozen Ground: Official Clip - On the Run

3:00

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Video Interview: Cast of Frozen Ground

The Frozen Ground: Trailer 1

1:50

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Synopsis

A teenage escapee (Vanessa Hudgens) provides a critical break in the case, as an Alaskan detective (Nicolas Cage) hunts a serial killer who has been preying on women for 13 years.

Director: Scott Walker
Producer: 50 Cent, Randall Emmett, Jane Fleming, Dama Claire
Screenwriter: Scott Walker
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Grindstone Entertainment Group
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality/Nudity|Violent Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 23, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 2, 2015
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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