Looking back at DEAD SNOW: A Blizzard of Nazi Gore Fun

Every now and then, a film appears in the European cinema scene that is completely different from everything else. Quite often, it comes from a country that hasn’t traditionally excelled in such genres. It is often the work of young, ambitious people who have the courage to go against the grain, to create something niche, something that may—unfortunately—go unnoticed. Dead Snow.

Thanks to such representatives of homo sapiens, the film world is never boring. Big names don’t stand behind them, nor does big money, yet they are still able to overcome obstacles and show audiences something new, fresh, and invigorating. To make things even more niche, they take on a heavily exploited genre, one in which it is increasingly difficult to come up with anything original, where ideas that have already appeared in other films are often copied shamelessly and insistently.

Because of this, unfortunately, the film market, if I may use that word, is flooded with bland productions, and it is rare for us to see something good—something that, despite relying on worn-out schemes, is constructed in such a way that it entertains rather than repels. This time, the strike came from Norway, from a little-known director (at least then), Tommy Wirkola. Our northern friends have taken on the subject of zombies. And to make things even better, these are dead Nazis.

Films of this type are specific. Their golden age is long gone. From time to time, the zombie theme returns with better or worse results and disappears just as quickly. It refers to such pioneers of the genre as Braindead, The Evil Dead, or Dawns… Days… Nights… and Sunrises of the Living Dead. It might seem that nearly everything has already been said in this field. Fortunately, that turns out not to be the case.

The plot of Dead Snow is banal. Here we have a group of young friends, a cabin in remote mountains, wintertime, and evil lurking nearby. So we know how it will end. The first thing to pay attention to is the approach we should take when watching this film. This is not a typical horror whose goal is to make the following nights sleepless and to make us afraid of even the smallest fart. No, such an approach is completely wrong and we will be sorely disappointed. This type of horror is meant above all to entertain the viewer. And in this field, it excels.

There is no shortage of fun here. Unfortunately, this is not a film for everyone. If you love a sea of guts, absurd situations, carnage, and omnipresent slaughter, then this title is aimed at you. It points at you with its rotten finger and says: You, don’t look away, sit comfortably and prepare yourself for a wild, no-holds-barred ride! With such a positive mindset, I prepared myself for nearly an hour and a half of great fun. First of all, the setting—beautiful Norwegian mountains, covered in white snow.

A typical cabin with an outhouse outside. I’ve had the chance to spend a few pleasant evenings in similar scenery, and the nighttime trip to such an outhouse provided a truly incredible thrill. You sit there and wonder whether something might grab your backside, whether something might come out of the hole and do something unpleasant. And in the case of this film, it is something very unpleasant indeed.

As is usually the case, our likable heroes—because no one will probably sympathize with a group of dead Nazis—are having a great time, flirting, indulging in physical pleasures, drinking, and playing various games. Just a typical party of young people. Until the evil emerges from the forest. Because once it does, we get an excellent spectacle, with generously flowing gore as the main attraction. While watching this film, I had the impression that the creators wanted to pay tribute to the pioneers of the gore genre, and in my humble opinion, they succeeded 100%. Another detail worth noting is the appearance of our antiheroes.

Decomposing figures dressed in Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS uniforms (the latter looking significantly better). They are constantly angry—well, they’re Nazis, they simply have to be. And they really, really don’t like it when someone steals their treasures. That’s when they become truly furious. It may seem strange that, despite having rifles and other firearms at their disposal, these pleasant fellows prefer close combat using bayonets and their strong arms. But thanks to this, the whole thing gains flavor. It also gives our heroes a chance to demonstrate incredible physical endurance and skill in using all kinds of household equipment, from knives to chainsaws.

They do it professionally, as befits the descendants of Vikings. They face hordes of furious zombies. The best part, when it comes to zombies, is that they are not interested in food at all. Unlike their American counterparts, the Norwegian versions do not consume our heroes; they are satisfied merely with tearing them into the smallest pieces. They only care about gold.

A big plus for the fact that we don’t have to witness consumption once again. Here, only the fight matters. Another advantage is the acting. Really quite good for amateurs, they deliver a performance seasoned with a considerable dose of black humor. What are the downsides? The Norwegian language is beautiful, but unfortunately incomprehensible. So when watching this film on DVD, one will have to settle for subtitles or—God forbid—a dreadful voice-over, and as we know, that makes it harder to focus on the film.

Nevertheless, Dead Snow is definitely worth watching; it brings a breath of fresh air that dispels the rot present in our cinemas and on store shelves, which forces us to order unique or niche productions from abroad. And now Dead Snow points its rotten finger at you and asks: Are you ready for me…?