Freezer (2014) User Reviews

Pretty Good

[bob-rutzel-1 · 5/10 · 11 February 2014]

Robert (Dylan McDermott) wakes up in a walk-in freezer with hands and feet bound. It's his birthday and has no memory of how he got there. Door is locked from the outside. And, it's getting colder and colder. What to do? What to do?

Okay, I get it. There will be some big twist at the end so I decided to hang for a while or until Robert dies from hypothermia. Shouldn't be too long. Maybe this is one of those Hollywood Short Shorts we hear about and never see. Hmmmm……..

Two Russian heavies come in and demand to know where the money is and, of course, Robert has no way of knowing what they are talking about. They beat him up pretty good. Later, more Russians come in but this time Alisa (Yulia Snigir) is with them and she, too, is asking for the money. Robert gets beat up again. They leave. The Russians want their money: $8-million. The Russians come and they go and the beatings continue and they take his shoes (oh, no, not that!). You know for a small room there seems to be more foot traffic in this freezer than there is at Grand Central Station. Later Robert discovers he is not alone. There is a wounded cop in with him. Robert finds a telephone and calls the police, but he cannot tell them where he is. He has no idea where he is. Did the phone belong to the wounded cop? Is the cop dirty? Is the cop that answered the phone dirty too? Can anyone be trusted?

So this is how it goes and Robert is getting closer to freezing to death, but keeps looking for a way out or to stop the freezing . I kept yelling at the screen for him to knock out the fans, but the freezer impaired his hearing. Bummer.

I have to admit the dialogues and the acting carry this film. We are now fully engaged. (Who would have thought? ) Let's review: Robert in a freezer, gets beat up many times by the Russians, the woman seems softer and may be able to help, but she makes Robert take his clothes off – so no help there, many fights break out with Robert getting the worst of them. Then the big crime boss comes into the freezer to get his money and wait a minute: did I hear Robert speak Russian? So there is something more to this.

I have to admit that for a limited space in the freezer I was kept in suspense and Robert's quips may have saved him at times, but the Russians need him alive to find the money. And, then it happens, the twist. Told ya.

All in all this is pretty good. Great acting performances from McDermott and the supporting cast and great dialogues and some things we are not told until the very end. That is what twists are all about.

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

This movie is not that bad.

[belindar-2 · 6/10 · 1 April 2014]

This movie is not that bad. It is slow but it is worth the watch. If you want to watch a movie that seems to go nowhere until the last scenes then this is one you might enjoy. I enjoyed it because it ended with a good ending. Dylan McDermott was a convincing victim and you could not have known how he was going to resolve his plight. Yuliya Snigir gave a good performance. If you watch the movie to the half way point, then you might as well go the whole route. For those who enjoy a movie with a surprise, you will enjoy this. Stay with it all the way because you will leave it with a smile. There is nothing better than to see a movie end right.

Nothing amazing but not horrible either. A less horrific Saw type movie. The twist is both unexpected & predictable.

[cosmo_tiger · 5/10 · 17 January 2014]

"This is the rat. I'd bet my life on it." Robert (McDermott) wakes up in a freezer with his wrists and ankles cuffed together and no idea why. When a gang of Russians come in they tell him he owes them 8 million dollars and won't let him go until they are repaid. When he realizes he isn't alone he is forced to make life and death decisions with every move he makes. This is a movie that although the idea has been done over and over still had potential. What it turned out to be was basically a version of the original Saw (without the gruesome chopping people up aspect). Man wakes up alone with no idea how he got there and must figure out who put him there and why. He sees someone else with him and must decide what to do next. The main difference is that this one has people coming in and out and more things happen but that is still the best way to describe it. The twist is both unexpected and predictable, when you watch it you will see what I mean. Overall, nothing amazing but not horrible either. A less horrific Saw type movie. I give it a C+.

It's a Fridge

[chrisharland-83972 · 3/10 · 4 November 2016]

There is a major twist in this movie which is never actually revealed other than being obvious to anyone with half a brain.

He's not in a walk in freezer, he's in a walk in fridge.

The clues. 1. He says its 37 degrees F or something like that, which is about the temperature of a fridge. A freezer would be around 0F or -18C.

2. He hits some hanging meat which was surprisingly bouncy in texture, therefore not frozen, I guess it could have just gone in but no, this is another clue that its not a freezer.

3. The breath thing that everyone is pointing out (which should probably still happen at fridge temperatures).

4. There are some jars of some kind of liquid, like sauces, they are still liquid, yeah OK, could be alcohol but then what are they doing in a fridge/freezer?

5. There are some boxes with a penguin on them which has a cross through it, and they say something like contents not to be frozen (duh!)

6. There are quite a few items in there which shouldn't even be in a fridge, such as tins of tomatoes, but in a freezer that's just crazy.

7. There are some more boxes which state to be stored at 33-37 degrees F, this is a fridge temperature, not a freezer.

There is one point where he takes an icicle to get water for the cop. This is the only icicle in the place and certainly wouldn't have formed at those temperatures.

The movie was pretty bad but to be honest I was entertained as my mind was totally preoccupied with the "spot things that prove its not a freezer" game.

Personally I'm looking forward to the sequel "Bakers Oven", where Dylan is trapped in a Sauna full of raw bread dough for an hour and a half.

I HOPE HELL IS WARM

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 14 October 2018]

Robert (Dylan McDermott) wakes up in a freezer in the very first scene. The Russian mafia has him held there and they want their money. Robert claims he is a mechanic and offers his wallet, which is missing, and to take them to an ATM. The Russians are not amused. He has their money, the Russians don't make mistakes.

Robert is very chipper for a guy facing death. He is beat up and cold tortured, but nothing overly severe. You can figure out the first twist, and there are more to follow, none were really unexpected. Just as the film slows up, it introduces another character or twist keeping you engaged, but not overly entertained.

It isn't bad for a movie where 99% is filmed in one room as one might expect. The action/thriller aspect is more old school action/drama/thriller. Normally this is something I would love, except the characters didn't give me a convincing performance, nor was Robert a decent protagonist whose character we got to know late...i.e. it failed to hook me.

Makes for a rental.

Parental Guide: F-bombs. No sex or nudity.

One Mess of a Movie

[larrys3 · 2/10 · 5 February 2014]

In this confusing mess of a movie, Dylan McDermott stars as Robert Saunders (why he's even in this film is the first good question to ask). At the beginning of the film Robert finds his hands and feet bound, and that he's locked into a meat freezer, where the average survival time is 3-4 hours before hypothermia kicks in.

He's soon visited by two Russian mobsters, and we slowly learn that $8 million of the Russian mob's money is missing, and they think Robert knows where it is. What's amazing is that no matter how perilous and dire Robert's situation gets, he's always able to come up with a Cagney or Bogart-like wise-crack, like you'd see in a 1940's B-movie. Since this is kept up the entire film, it can quite annoying after a while.

Various characters will enter and depart from the freezer, including an undercover NYPD Narcotics Detective (Peter Facinelli), who's clinging to life under a box of meat. Also, another NYPD Detective (David McNally) who manages to get a call through to Robert but mysteriously doesn't seem in any hurry to help him.

Of course, we must have a beautiful Russian woman come onto the scene, as that would be Alisa (Yuliya Snigir) who apparently was the "mule" that brought the $8 million up from Miami and is also the girlfriend of the son of the Russian mob boss Oleg.

As the story continues, the various twists and surprises get more and more ridiculous and convoluted. I would suggest that you don't try and figure them out or your brain cells may freeze-up from "Freezer".

McDermott will stare down death in the strangest places.

[face-819-933726 · 17 January 2014]

Decent rental. This is a good one room suspense sorta thriller kinda movie. It has been McDermott's year over all, and this movie is just a very formulaic example of why. The rest of the cast are basically just stereotypes meant only as props for McDermott to bounce around, or flirt with. The trademarked cold stare is used in the most literal way. Good acting for the most part, you are really taken for a ride here not quite a tight story, although everything that made no sense at first is explained eventually. I Enjoyed the story, and was kept off my toes long enough to Enjoy the ride as well so I would recommend this one for an evening in, and can safely say you will have a fun time in the Freezer the Movie.

A favourite genre of mine but it might be growing stale

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 23 January 2014]

I chuckled at another IMDb reviewers title because it is sort of true. They referred to this film as a "lukewarm" freezer. Freezer has some potential certainly, and it is entertaining at times, twisted and well acted. I am personally constantly impressed when a film maker can make a movie even remotely interesting set entirely in one location. This film is set in the now tried and true genre of Buried, Brake, Saw (to a lesser extent) and Phone Booth. One locale, minimal cast, twists and turns and plenty of thrills. Freezer is fortunate to have a decent sized star at the front of the cast who turns in a very good performance. He is definitely the one to watch in this. Still the story is decent, if not just a little more complex than it needs to be and perhaps tries a little too hard. One of the best things about this type of genre is the "big reveal" at the end. Most times it is the opportunity to truly shock the audience like Buried or Saw truly did in my opinion. The big reveal at the end of Freezer is average at best and just feels really anti-climatic. It isn't that I saw it coming, its just that it felt forced and like they ran out of ideas so its a bit of a let down.

I very much enjoy Dylan McDermott. I think he's a versatile intense actor who has great charisma on screen. I think he saves this film from being completely mediocre. McDermott shows an intensity and really does put everything into the performance. His tough exterior and wise cracks and dark humour works extremely well in this situation and he is definitely the highlight of the film. Yuliya Snigir is average in her role as the mysterious woman overseeing McDermott's torture. Snigir is often campy in her display of emotions and she overacts many of the scenes. There is very little chemistry between her and McDermott and she doesn't impress much in the role. The supporting cast are all decent though predictable. Andrey Ivchenko and Pascal Petardi fit their roles well as Russian meat-head mobsters who look angry and yell. Peter Facinelli is also decent in an unfortunately small role as a Detective in a similar situation as McDermott.

The film is good, the story is good, the performances are good but it definitely doesn't go beyond just good. It tries very hard but unfortunately that came come across as more desperation to be entertaining than creative. Director Mikael Salomon has had one major theatrical credit essentially and since then has been an avid director in Television ever since. There is nothing wrong with that, he's been involved in some strong Television credits but Freezer feels like it wants to be a TV episode rather than a full film. Its just a tad cumbersome and meanders through some of the details and even uses the same violent shock scene twice which doesn't bode well for a movie that is all in one locale. When all is said and done Freezer will entertain you but I understand those that found it disappointing. However, McDermott fans can be rest assured he does a great job. 7/10

A total waste of time.

[countryshack · 1/10 · 8 April 2014]

This movie was so bad it actually began to hurt to watch it. You will find yourself saying in Every Scene: "That is ridiculous." No, ridiculous doesn't fully describe it. You would have to add a few slang vulgar adjectives in front of ridiculous to give it the kind of review that it deserves. Twenty minutes into this action/thriller we were all laughing at its stupidity.

The directing looked like it was a made for TV movie and the writing was pure adolescent. Don't waste your time and, more importantly, don't waste any money on this...um...waste.

Then again, if you are intellectually challenged and don't quite understand the meaning behind the story of the 3 pigs, then... Grab that large popcorn, biggee coke, and a box or two of your favorite chocolate sugar, and get ready for a great action/thriller;)

The movie left me cold

[chimpy40 · 3/10 · 26 April 2014]

I put this in the category of phone booth and man on a ledge, both of which much better than Freezer, it would of been more suited to a TV show rather than a full movie! Didn't keep me hooked and it really was all in a freezer. It might suit a Sunday afternoon when bored and nothing on TV or you can't be bothered to watch yet another repeat of something you've already watched on netflix. The acting wasn't bad and some smiles was raised, but I can't see it making no Oscar trail. Even the music was non existent, but then I guess it on needed incidental music. All in all I wouldn't recommend it, even tho it was recommended to me. The movie left me cold.

This was a great effort on a low budget.

[samboseley · 8/10 · 31 May 2015]

This movie may not be for everybody, however, I enjoyed this.

I won't lie and say that the first ten minutes, that is supposedly what you need to draw a viewer in was riveting. This needed a little work and could have been made stronger.

However, as the story progressed, I began to empathise with the lead character. Wrong place, wrong time, who hasn't been in that situation?

For a limited location movie, and a limited cast movie, this was a hit in my eyes. The chemistry from the actors showed and this only increased the enjoyability of the film.

As a screenwriter, I can appreciate a great premise.

Thanks

Should have left this one in the Freezer

[MacrosTheBlack2014 · 2/10 · 25 March 2014]

The initial premise is good. Man wakes up trapped in Meat locker, not sure how he gets there and said plot unfolds. The film itself try to follow the mold of the genre, but quickly collapses with plot holes, meandering dialogue and poor continuity.

The arrival of the 3 Russians really signals the end of the film for me. The crazy one with the gun, the beauty with the tragic accent, the bodyguard with the acting skills of a hamster and the lead himself, bantering inanely trying to save his life.

The conclusion is predicable, the acting in general stilted and unless you get this movie free, then just re-watch several of the other films available in this genre, then you won't feel you've lost 90 Min's of your life.

You just won't care

[jkbonner1 · 4/10 · 23 January 2014]

I saw this movie based on a preview I saw and the preview made it seem promising. So I saw it. Mercifully the movie was less that 90 minutes. My summary-You just won't care-is an actual line used in the movie when Alisa (Yuliya Snigir) tells Robert (Dylan McDermott) that he will get so cold (he's trapped in a freezer-hence the title) that "you will crawl into a cold, dark corner and wait for death. And the worst thing will be, you just won't care." At the end of this movie, it summed up how I felt: I just didn't care. This movie progressed steadily from some rather inexplicable scenes to totally over-the-wall inexplicable scenes. The most charitable things I can say are Dylan McDermott looks good for his age (52) and Yuliya Snigir is very pretty. Beyond that maybe OK for a cheap rental at home when you've seen whatever else it is you wanted to see. I will say some of Robert's cheeky lines did help to lift the movie up a little. Otherwise I would have given this movie a 2. All in all I was disappointed and expected better.

Overall OK

[chdnickson · 5/10 · 4 October 2014]

First Canadian film, not bad. Great for a similar movie that you'd see on ordinary television. Rented at red box and was worth the dollar. No real climax, but throughout the movie a good flow of entertainment. Good spin at the end, worth 91 min. The movie starts and finishes in a freezer so the name actually ties in well ( I have seen titles that don't) throughout the movie I encourage to watch for the good guys and bad ones for an easy game to stay active. The characters that play Russian actually speak Russian so subtitles definitely came in handy. There were only 4 main people in the movie so fairly easy to follow characters and associated attributes.

Next time I watch "Frozen" again with my 2 kids ....

[peterp-450-298716 · 2/10 · 24 July 2014]

"Happy f*ckin' birthday"

"Freezer" is like a refrigerator at someones home who suffers from bulimia. Empty and cold. Don't expect panoramic images, because the whole film is set in an enclosed area of a few square meters. You only get a few glimpses of other locations in the beginning of the film and in the end. For the rest it's a desolate view of the inside of a cooling room with some hunks of meat hanging from the ceiling and also a whole range of iron shelves with boxes. And strangely enough, in between an infiltrator comes crawling out of a shelf where he was tucked away for some time. But that's the last thing I will tell you, otherwise there's nothing left from this unlikely,far-fetched thin story.

When a complete movie takes place in one specific area, then it can only be successful by using a surprising twist in a clever put together story that takes you by surprise. A movie like "Devil", which is almost exclusively set in an elevator, was equipped with such an original story. "Freezer" is a total failure in this part and the denouement is really exaggerated and far-fetched. Well it didn't warm me up. How appropriate! Robert (Dylan McDermott) is the unfortunate mechanic who awakes in a cooling room, with a plastic bag over his head and his hands and feet tied with straps. He has no idea where he is, but soon realizes it's terribly cold in there. After a while two sturdy guys come in who start beating him up. Robert realizes that something is not quite all right and that he's in an awkward and difficult position. Usually you'll come to that conclusion after you get a hard punch in your stomach and you find your lunch spread all over the floor. The Russian tough guys know only one English word: "Money." Apparently they are seeking for 8 million dollars they've lost. And they claim that Robert has pinched this considerable sum of money.

What follows is a fairly monotonous routine in which the two Russian mobsters disappear and reappear. Soon after they are also accompanied by a Russian tough lady called Alisa (Yuliya Snigir), who seemed to be quite superior at first, but after wards appeared to be just another third-rate accomplice. Between these interludes Robert tries to save himself out of this situation and starts to search for a possible escape route. If I were him, I would have emptied the fire extinguisher unceremoniously in the face of the gangsters at the time they walked into the freezer and subsequently crush the empty fire extinguisher on their Russian heads. I guess the cold hindered the ability to think.

The story itself is already wafer-thin. So what about the performances? About the gangsters we can be short and concise. Ultimately they are just mindless hulks and that's how they perform. Plain stupid. Snigir was very convincing in the beginning but then the overacting arose and it soon changed into a sad spectacle. The only one who could get my approval was McDermott. Although his situation looked desperate, he tried to pervade it with subtle and humorous conversations. But that didn't save the movie. He did save his face though. An admirable performance in a meaningless movie. I think he really looks like David Schwimmer (Ross from the sitcom "Friends"). It reminded me of that episode where Chandler got stuck in an ATM vestibule. But that's aside.

There were also some rarities in this movie that left some question-marks. Apparently this cold room was already used before. Wouldn't it be appropriate to remove some dangerous items such as meat hooks and a fire extinguisher ? And apparently it wasn't that cold in there because there were no freezing phenomena. Not even a little cloud in the air as they were speaking. And after removing his shoes, Robert had difficulties to stand on his feet because of the so called freezing cold. Seems that plastic brings salvation ? And after wards, although the temperature was even lower, it didn't look like it bothered him. And how you can make a glowing stove with only two electrical wires and an iron rack, remains a mystery to me.

If I ever want to watch a movie again with frost in it, I'll look for the umpteenth time "Frozen" again together with my two kids. There's more story, tension and content in this wonderful Walt Disney movie than in this would-be thriller ...

More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be/

This One Was Painfull

[damianphelps · 1/10 · 13 March 2021]

I like Dylan. I find most of his work to be fun and feel he is a good user of intensity without being to overt about it.

Freezer is simply a pile of crap.

I made it through about 30 minutes of this rubbish before I had to turn it off.

Plain and simple...horrible!

Dylan McDermott was phenomenal

[rs-89619 · 10/10 · 21 July 2019]

This was Dylan McDermott's finest performance. He was funny, witty, intense, charismatic all at the same time. I watched this movie 5 times. He's one of the best dramatic artist of his time.

Motionless Movie Stifled By Its Own Conventions

[LeonLouisRicci · 5/10 · 16 April 2014]

While this Low-Budget Movie Suffers from Multiple Problems it isn't a Complete Waste and is Worth a Watch as a Time Waster. These Types of Films, those set in Virtually One Location are Obvious from the Start Announcing Not Much Money and the Project can't Help but be Cursed with that most Basic of Restrictive Residue, Movies are Supposed to Move.

While it can be Novel the Premise Tends to be Boring and Redundant. It is Noticed here that Basically the Same Thing happens Over and Over again. The Wisecracking Protagonist does His best to keep Things Lively with Sarcastic Quips, even the best of them Wear Thin and get Irritating over the course of a Full Length Film and are better left to the Stand-Ups.

Not the Worst Production Culled from Limited Resources, this One Remains Mediocre and Rather Flat after all is Said and not much is Done.

I prefer sitting in that freezer than having to watch this garbage again.

[deloudelouvain · 2/10 · 22 February 2017]

What the hell did I just watch? A couple of days ago I saw a beautiful movie so I guess to put everything back in balance my time for an awful movie had to come. And it came with Freezer. It's painful to watch. It's been a long time ago that I did watch a movie with such a bad script. I can't believe the guy that wrote this script is actually making money with this profession. Watch it and I can guarantee you that every time Dylan McDermott opens his mouth something completely stupid comes out. He knows he's going to die and apparently he thinks it's funny because all he can think about is making childish jokes. He knows his going to die and apparently he thinks this is the time to have an opportunity to flirt a little bit. One of those flirts with very lame sentences. It just resumes this garbage of a movie at it's best. What strikes me the most is that some people did like this movie. I'm normally not a difficult guy to please but I have my limits. And the extremely bad acting of Dylan McDermott is my limit. Next time I'd rather go sit in a freezer for the entire movie than having to watch this one again.

Even if you can freeze time, it still will be a waste of 90 minutes

[adi_2002 · 5/10 · 7 May 2014]

A man wakes up in a freezer after he was celebrating his birthday in a restaurant and while he was at the restroom some Russian mobsters have kidnapped him and put him in a freezer and threats that they will leave him there and freeze to death if he doesn't tell them where he has hided an important amount of cash.

Just like other movies that the action takes place in one location for almost the entire duration and here we remind of Buried or Brake this one has a few moments when it can be boring in fact at some point it gets very frustrating watching that gangsters entering and exiting through the door. Also they are so amateur leaving a man who believe he stoled so much money untied with a lot of sharp object near him like meat hooks or a cutter. The story complicated without purpose when it could be so much simple although many will not expect at some twists. It's just an ordinary kidnapped hostage money recovery type of movie but with an ending far more stupid. But still deserves a watch.

Great comedy

[canadianragweed · 2/10 · 11 June 2015]

"May contain spoilers?"

I watched this movie just to see how bad it was going to be from a technical stance. The answer is, it could almost not have been worse. I am not going to bore you with why, I listed some credentials instead below. I mean I don't think they talked to anyone who even has a basic knowledge of electricity, let alone a refrigeration technician. Nikola Telsa was rotfl during filming I'm sure.

Credentials: I have an associates degree in HVACR, a certificate in commercial refrigeration, a certificate in air conditioning, a universal EPA license, a dual endorsed Texas state ACR contractors license, a whole lot of continuing education, and 13 years working on nothing but commercial HVACR in mainly restaurants.

Saved by suspense

[cekadah · 8/10 · 21 June 2014]

What keeps this movie from being a cold chill flop is it's ability to keep the level of suspense and mystery at full speed from start to finish.

No I didn't believe Robert could last as long as he did in the freezer. And no I didn't believe Detective Sam could live in the cold with those wounds ... etc. etc.

But what kept my attention was the constant twist and turns Robert pulled in psychological tricks on the Russian mob members. And the suspense in guessing what his next move would be in his quest to save himself.

The story is worth it just for that reason. I did get a bit confused at the finish because you never actually see what was in the box Alisa gives Robert.

You decide.

Loved this movie..

[rs-89619 · 10/10 · 15 June 2019]

I absolutely loved this movie..Dylan McDermott was funny, quirky, serious in the face of adversity. He played off the other characters & put 110% of himself in this movie.

Chilling!

[zardoz-13 · 8/10 · 25 January 2014]

Dylan McDermott delivers a tour-de-force performance in "Freezer," an imaginative, single-setting saga about an automobile mechanic imprisoned in an industrial freezer. "Hard Rain" helmer Mikael Salomon, "8 Million Dollars" scenarist Tom Doganoglu, and freshman scribe Shane Weisfeld maintain interest and momentum as they peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding our hero during the film's 90 minutes. The ordeal that our hero, Robert Saunders, endures in a walk-in freezer where two grim Russians thugs have confined him is unrelenting from fade-in to fade-out. They want to know where $ 8-million dollars is located. McDermott grows increasingly colder as the action crosses the midway point, and the villains are treating him like a punching bag. McDermott does everything that he can do to escape. Along the way, he picks up a cell phone and finds himself talking to a police detective. Later, he finds some other things and strikes up a brief relationship with a woman who works with the thugs. Salomon stages the close-quarters, hand-to-hand, combat scenes with finesse. The ending comes as a surprise. McDermott holds the entire movie together and you wonder if everything is a case of mistaken identity or if he really does know something about the missing eight million.