The Thaw (2009)

A research expedition to the Arctic discovers that a melting polar ice cap has released a deadly prehistoric parasite.

Director:

Mark A. Lewis

Writers:

Mark A. Lewis (screenplay), Michael Lewis (screenplay)

Stars:

Val Kilmer, Alexandra Staseson, Brad Dryborough

1 win & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Val Kilmer	...	Dr. Kruipen
Alexandra Staseson	...	Infected Girl
Brad Dryborough	...	Man With Needle / Fishing Reporter
Greg Rogers	...	Webcam Voice (voice)
William B. Davis	...	Ted
Garry Chalk	...	Jack
Peter Kelamis	...	Mike
Brenda Crichlow	...	Anchorwoman (as Brenda M. Crichlow)
Anne Marie DeLuise	...	Jane (as Anne Marie Deluise)
John Callander	...	Edward
Lamech Kadloo	...	Nuti
Kyle Schmid	...	Federico Fulce
Steph Song	...	Ling Chen
Aaron Ashmore	...	Atom Galen
Evan Adams	...	Professor Anderson

Storyline

At a remote Arctic research station, four ecology students discover the real horror of global warming is not the melting ice, but what's frozen within it. A prehistoric parasite is released from the carcass of a Woolly Mammoth upon the unsuspecting students who are forced to quarantine and make necessary sacrifices, or risk infecting the rest of the world.

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Plot Keywords:

parasite | helicopter | student | quarantine | global warming | 

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Taglines:

This spring, the sacrifice begins...

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, language and brief sexuality

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 September 2010 (Philippines)

Also Known As:

Arctic Outbreak

Filming Locations:

Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anagram Pictures Inc., Etch Media, Artifact Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During his time as a teacher at the Center for Arts and Technology Director Mark A. Lewis used parts of his screenplay for The Thaw in his Directing the Actor class.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Kruipen: My name is David Kruipen. What is sacrifice? What does it mean to make a real difference? Throughout my life and career I have straddled two worlds. Increasingly I have become respected. Increasingly my books and articles are published and read. Increasingly I have been embraced by policymakers and referenced by bureaucrats, but today I realize that I have... misguided myself. Today I rediscovered what I knew when I was young.

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Soundtracks

"Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen"
Traditional
Vocals Performed by Bory Woodward
Arranged and Produced by Matthew Rogers and Patrick Bramall
Courtesy of Thaw Productions Inc.

User Reviews

Mildly entertaining

The premise: A prehistoric bug is discovered in melting Arctic ice by a renowned global warming alarmist (Val Kilmer). The bug reproduces by infecting people. A small group of students attempt to contain the new infestation.

The Thaw offers more suspense than it does horror, though there are some jumpy and/or gory moments. The CGI bugs are just convincing enough, and the other effects are good. While the plot revolves largely around Kilmer's character, he doesn't get very much screen time. However the other actors were engaging enough that I didn't find myself missing him all that much.

The story starts with Kilmer and his team, beginning the movie's more mysterious element. It then switches to the students for their rather straightforward horror-genre struggle against the bugs. The Kilmer part of the story is revisited in the end, to wrap up the mystery with a twist. Having the mystery lingering in the background was a nice touch, as it added some extra intrigue to carry me through the movie.

Nothing to write home about, but competent film-making and moderate entertainment throughout. Has lots of blatant public-service messages about global warming, too, if you've got the stomach for that.