Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Dead of Winter’

Written by Scott Edwards

Setting out for an adventure can be one of the highlights of the year for somebody and it's even sweeter when they could win a massive amount of money for being able to complete it. I have never been a part of such of an adventure in my days, mostly because I do not believe something like that is legit, but with so many people finding a payoff at the end, it might be time to revisit this way of thinking. You never know unless you try it to see if everything is on the level and knowing my luck, it will turn into a human hunting party or something strange like that and I will become the center piece on the dining room table for a massive feast. 

Being woken up by his sister with a job offer, John Garber knows that he needs the money now more than ever. Getting out of jail a year ago, he has had a difficult time finding a legit job, but this one might be the biggest disappointment to date. Sobering up and hearing the offer is for two hundred dollars for eighteen hours of driving, he knows that the pay is crap, but cannot pass it up. Loading the bus with eight contestants that are ready to race in the wilderness for twenty-five thousand dollars in a Geocache treasure hunt, he does not know what he is in for.

Driving through the night and arriving a little bit early to the starting line, John watches as the teams of Simon and Ben, Robert and Eve, Rachel and Lindsay along with Marcus and Bradik take off through the hills trying to find the next clue to their treasure hunt. Staying with the bus, John thinks that he hears something in the woods around him but dismisses it and continues to go on with his own duties; drinking the victory beer on the bus that was left for him. While tracking through the woods, the groups find the same clue and have to understand what the riddles mean and find themselves in front of or trailing each other until the next clue is found. But there is something strange happening in the woods in Colorado this day as Ben finds locates a hunter’s line that gets set off and decapitates his partner Simon.

Rushing back to the bus with the body of their fellow treasure hunter, the group is ready to go, but the bus explodes before they are able to get it started again. Being trapped in the woods with no supplies, the group is forced to back track through the woods and find the clues that will lead them to the ultimate prize and hopefully a ride out. But on their way, the group finds out that these are not normal clues that they are finding, they are clues as to how each one of them will die. Knowing that they are being hunted in the woods, John tries to help take control of the group since he knows a little bit about the terrain they are trapped in, but he, along with everybody else have a little secret of their own that could be the reason why they are being hunted down like wild animals. 

A lost in the woods movie usually does not do it for me, unless of course the woods are haunted or have a serial killer on the loose in them, but Dead of Winter took it a step further. With a hint of mystery surrounding what is happening to the group, the apparent killing of the group members should be enough motivation for them to want to complete the treasure hunt. I was impressed with the characters dynamics as the storyline played out, since each one has their own strengths that can help them find the end of the hunt. I was however blown away by the blood in this movie, I did not expect it to splatter all over the screen and I am more than happy to say that it really kept me intrigued in finding out who done it. With blood, snow, poison, arrows and a single gun, this is the type of movie you like to curl up with on a winter’s afternoon and root for your favorite characters to get out alive and possibly a little bit richer as well. Stay Scared.

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