Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Snow Beast’ (2011)

Written by Scott Edwards 

A group of researchers are heading up to the Canadian wilderness to follow and study the Canadian Lynx. Being led by Jim Harwood and his daughter Emmy, the group finds that all of the lynx have mysteriously disappeared from their homes. Not being able to determine what happened to the previously abundant population on the mountain, the group heads out looking for answers.

In town, new deputy Barry is looking for answers of his own. Too many people have gone missing in the wilderness for his liking and he is trying to find out if something or someone is taking them. Being met with opposition from his partner Gibbons, Barry puts a map together to try and find a pattern. When looking at all of the missing people reports and reading statements from around town, Barry finds that everyone that has gone missing in a central area and none of the search parties have ever looked in the correct location.  

As Jim and counterpart Rob move around the mountain and fix their faulty equipment, they stumble upon and investigate a large snow cave. Noticing blood and human remains around the cavern, they get a call from Emmy saying that something large and not human is headed their way. Having to get out of the cave before the strange creature catches up with them, Jim and Rob rush back to the cabin and try to figure out what is hunting all of the animals on the mountain.

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​Analyzing some footage they obtained, the group is dumbfounded with what they see before them. Thinking that it is a bear of some sort the group feels safe in the confines of their cabin until their snowmobiles are attacked and dismantled by the beast. Knowing that this creature is something that is not currently on the animal records, the group is faced with the ultimate decision, to stay and continue their research or escape while they still have time. But with their transportation having been destroyed by the beast, the group has their decision made up for them as they need to find a way to survive.

Snow Beast follows a group of researchers headed by Jim Harwood. Being recently divorced, he is taking his daughter Emmy along for the ride up to the Canadian wilderness to follow in his studies of the Canadian Lynx. With his seasoned researchers coming along, Jim feels that everything will stay well in hand when they find that there is no wildlife activity to be found on the mountain, only strange tracks that could be a bear or something similar, that has managed to scare all the animals away. With there now being a lack of food on the mountain, the new predator has turned its sights on the local human population to feed. With a consistent hunting pattern, the beast is finding what it wants, when it wants but is unable to know how strong a group of scientists can be with their backs to the wall.

This is one of those movies that will leave you shaking your head. Just a fun ride that makes you remember how much smarter you are than the main characters when they go searching for their hunter or come up with their plans of escape. The saying, ‘Riding into the mouth of the beast’ could be taken very literally with this film, but that is what makes it fun. Staying on your feet while a strange creature is chasing you is the only way to survive, but as is always demonstrated in a classic horror story, someone always falls. Stay Scared!

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