• I will refer to the characters with the actors’ names as the writer hasn’t given them names.

The Story

Emily Blunt is a college student who needs a ride to Delaware for Christmas. When she sees the notice of a follow student looking for a road buddy, she decides to drive with him (Ashton Holmes.)

However the trip turns out to be less than pleasant when they don’t exactly get along, and things turn out for the worst when Blunt finds out that he is not actually from Delaware, but he just  wanted to spend a couple of hours with her. However, when he takes a short cut despite her objections, things get even worse between them, as now she is pretty sure that he is some psycho stalker. It doesn’t help that they crash and get stuck at night, in the middle of nowhere.

But Holmes is actually just a boy with a crush, and she realizes that she’d be better off being afraid of the cold, as well as the mysterious and scary-looking passerbys who don’t seem to be interested in helping at all.

As they get hungrier and colder, she realizes tat he is more heavily injured than he let on. And as if the danger of dying from cold wasn’t scary enough, they realize that the passerbys aren’t men but ghosts – and an evil ghost (Martin Donovan) is just on his way to try to kill them.

The mutual danger and time spent together brings them closer, but will it be enough to survive the night?

*

Wind Chill – the actual genre: Romantic/Drama Thriller

The film is usually categorized as horror/thriller, but it is more drama/romance with some supernatural thriller elements. You can try turning off your lights and watching it by yourself during the night, but it still won’t get scary. Momentary surprises? Maybe. Scares? Unlikely.

There is some violence and blood, but nothing gory or disgusting.

I’m also calling it a romance, because the movie takes about half an hour till the crash happens, and even then, it is more about the relationship of Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes and their survival attempts – while connecting with  and liking each other more. You can at least picture a friendship, and/or a few dates after/if they survive (obviously I won’t tell what happens!)

Is it worth watching?

Yes, especially if you don’t mind the thrilling aspects starting later, the movie being less violent and bloody than your typical horror movie. There is no nudity or gore either. As I mentioned above, it is not scary. It is however engaging and interesting as a drama/romance – two strangers getting to form a connection/alliance/friendship to survive.

The scenery is good, the ghosts are just men with disappearing & violence abilities.  The snow adds more chill than the villain, and it is not that hard to imagine how scared you’d be, had you been in that situation.

Yeah, you wouldn’t run into ghosts but you could very well run into psychotic strangers. And even if you didn’t, the nature and the weather are enough of an enemy. Add it to their lack of heat, medical supplies and food, and well…you’d be scared.

Lessons from the movie: 

• Check supplies, get first aid and extra blankets. Maybe a baseball bat/gun could come in handy- at least for inital protection. Oh and do yourself a favor, and don’t take the shortcut- no matter how short and easy it sounds.
• Oh, and there is a chance that the driver/passenger you travel with may be the psycho/villain rather than a very cute boy with a harmless crush so prefer to ride with people you actually know. Just in case.
• And better yet, take the bus or plane.

Rated at 5.9 on IMDB. My rating- as a horror/thriller movie: 5-6/10.

As a romance/drama thriller: 7-7.5/10

Interesting facts about the movie:

Producers: Two of the producers are George Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich; Sex, Lies and Videotape.)

Characters without names: The lead characters don’t have names.

Similar to Wind Chill

Frozen starring Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore & Emma Bell

(nothing supernatural, people against nature, cold & the dark. Drama/thriller)

Reviews Other of Emily Blunt Movies

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen feat. Ewan McGregor & Emily Blunt

The Jane Austen Book Club with Emily Blunt, Kevin Zegers, Maria Bello & Hugh Dancy