Review by James Lindorf
Written by Jason Long and directed by newcomer Sandi Somers, Ice Blue tells the story of 16-year-old Arielle and her life on a secluded farm with her father, John. Life is simple for the pair; Arielle is homeschooled and spends the rest of her time doing chores to help her father’s business. Throwing a wrench into their routine is the arrival of Christian, a juvenile delinquent from the big city who takes a liking to Arielle. The return of Arielle’s estranged mother and all of her secrets drives a further wedge between Arielle and John. Ice Blue stars Michelle Morgan (Batwoman), Sophia Lauchlin Hirt (Bad Times at the El Royale), Billy MacLellan (Star Trek: Discovery), Charlie Kerr (Cadence), and will be available On Demand November 5th, 2019.
Cinematographer Nick Thomas created a look for the film that helped build a sense of isolation for the remote Canadian farm. The area around their home looks physically and emotionally cold, cut off from society. While the city and other houses are shown, there is no sense of direction or space. The town could be 10 minutes away just over the next ridge, but it feels like a trip that takes hours. Though a large portion of the film takes place at night or in the dawning hours, everything is well lit, which is uncommon in low budget thriller and horror films. You may be left wondering what just happened, but it is never because you didn’t see what was going on.
Composer Alec Harrison did a great job with the original music in the film. However, Alec or the person that picked the songs in the movie should get a talking to about picking songs based on more than one factor. The songs were a tonal distraction, even if the lyrics fit what Arielle was feeling at that time. The songs were also a technical failure. They were mixed poorly with the rest of the audio resulting in them being several times louder than anything else.
The acting in the film was mostly serviceable. No one was offensively bad, but no one will be taking home a golden statue come award season. The actors seemed to excel in brief encounters, but during extended dramatic scenes, their performances would falter and flatten out. It could be a combination of issues but actors across the board being unable to maintain the same energy within a scene does not reflect well on the first time director
To this point in her career, Somers has only directed videos and short films, which is evident. There are some excellent moments and images in Ice Blue, but it lacks the connective tissue to be a complete and coherent film. Despite a valiant effort and several successes, Ice Blue can’t rise above being a low budget imitator of movies like What Lies Beneath and Shutter Island.
