The Chill Factor (1993)

This is, without question, the crown jewel of my Shoctober 2024 viewing—a masterclass in combining the worst writing, acting, and directing possible. Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this gem on the BFI website, where it was described as The Exorcist meets the Winter Olympics, promising a thrilling combo of demonic possession and snowbound slashing. Instead, I got a painfully dull, creatively bankrupt mess where the biggest horror was the acting, and the snow somehow managed to feel less cold than the performances. Christopher Webster, who directed this and was producer of Hellraiser, must be so proud!

**_Cabin in the snowy woods of northeast Wisconsin_**

Six snowmobilers have no recourse but to find succor at a long defunct summer camp facility. But curiosity killed the cat and they may not make it out alive.

“The Chill Factor” was shot in the winter of 1989, but not released to video until 1993. It has also been released as “Demon Possessed” (USA) and “Demon Snow” (Canada). The actors are unsurprisingly no-names, but they do a serviceable job. Meanwhile the (too loud) score is competent, but kind of unfitting, yet it grows on you and becomes part of the movie’s Indie charm.

Blonde Dawn Laurrie stands out in the female department as Jeannie while brunette Connie Snyder is worth a mention as Karen, along with Eve Montgomery as Lissa, a black lass. Their beauty is effectively captured on camera in a respectable way.

Besides them, the best part of the flick is the remote Great Lakes ambiance in the dead of winter (pun intended). The snowmobiling sequences are reminiscent of the same in “A Simple Plan,” shot eight years later. The bar sequence in the first act is great (disregarding some less-than-stellar acting), involving a drunken jerk who has to be confronted and reprimanded.

The second half becomes increasingly spooky. The voiceover narration from the ‘final girl’ effectively ties the story together, obviously influenced by Captain Willard’s narration in “Apocalypse Now” (at least a bit here or there, anyway).

If you require a blockbuster budget in your viewing experience then I suggest staying away, but if you appreciate proficiently made Indies with a modest budget, this delivers the goods.

It runs 1 hour, 26 minutes, and was shot at Eagle River in northeast Wisconsin and nearby Sugar Camp, which is 11 miles southwest of there. The border of Upper Peninsula Michigan is only a half hour away.

GRADE: B