Emily Mody - Ice Blue

Posted on Monday, May 21, 2018 at 08:00 PM

Ice Blue

Review by Emily Mody x CalgaryMovies.com

Ice Blue directed by Sandi Somers is a Canadian feature length thriller film. The story follows homeschooled fifteen year old, Arielle (played by Sophia Lauchlin Hirt) who’s world is turned on its head when new boy, Christian (played by Charlie Kerr), moves to town. Arielle lives alone with her father (played by Billy MacLellan) on an rural farm. On the eve of Arielle’s sixteenth birthday she is reunited with her estranged mother (played by Michelle Morgan) and learns of a devastating family secret.

Ice Blue is very enjoyable. The plot is mildly complex but not overwhelmingly so. The character development is very strong and the writing is good. I also really enjoyed the acting, which is usually the aspect of Anglo-Canadian narrative cinema that I like the least. I particularly was pleased by the work of Billy MacLean. His portrayal of Arielle’s father is both sincere and engaging. I found that the story was scary but not overly frightening. I think Ice Blue’s strengths lie in its ability to connect to the audience. The story pulls you in and challenges you to ask questions, as all good thrillers should. This is the type of film that would benefit from another watch though, so if that type of story bothers you that is definitely something to keep in mind. The story takes place on an isolated family farm and the scenery is stunning. I am not surprised to hear that Ice Blue was shot in Alberta.

Ice Blue reminds me of a film entitled 1922 directed by Zak Hilditch. 1922 is an adaptation of the novella written by Stephen King. The story follows a man named Wilfred James (played by Thomas Jane) who is unhappy in his current life. He decides that the best way to rid himself of his problems is to murder his wife (played by Molly Parker). Afterwards, although he never does get caught, his son (played by Dylan Schmid) abandons him and his sanity as well as his livelihood deteriorates. Ice Blue and 1922 are very similar in tone and style. They both take place in isolated, rural communities and deal heavily with the main character’s mental health. As the story progresses I think that 1922 is, perhaps, a bit more frightening than Ice Blue and for this reason it may belong to the horror genre rather than be categorized as a thriller. Regardless, I highly recommend one if you enjoyed the other. Just to note however, I personally prefer Ice Blue more than 1922.

The film runs a total of 104 minutes. It is rated PG and contains violence, sexuality, and domestic abuse. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys thrillers about family drama and who does not shy away from difficult subject matter.

I really enjoyed Ice Blue. I have never had the pleasure of seeing Sandi Somers’ work before. Now that I have seen Ice Blue, I look forward to seeing what she will do in the future.