Hubbry Logo
Dead SnowDead SnowMain
Open search
Dead Snow
Community hub
Dead Snow
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Dead Snow
Dead Snow
Dead Snow
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Dead Snow
Theatrical release poster
NorwegianDød snø
Directed byTommy Wirkola
Written byTommy Wirkola
Stig Frode Henriksen
Produced byTomas Evjen
Harald Zwart
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Bradley Weston
Edited byMartin Stoltz
Music byChristian Wibe
Production
companies
Miho Film
Yellow Bastard Production
News on Request
Zwart Arbeid
Barentsfilm AS
FilmCamp
Storm Studios
Distributed byEuforia Film
Release date
  • 9 January 2009 (2009-01-09) (Norway)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryNorway
Languages
  • Norwegian
  • English
Budget$2 million[1]
Box office$2.2 million[2]

Dead Snow (Norwegian: Død snø) is a 2009 Norwegian satiric horror film directed by Tommy Wirkola, starring Charlotte Frogner, Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel, Jeppe Laursen, Evy Kasseth Røsten, Jenny Skavlan, and Lasse Valdal. The film centers on a group of students surviving a zombie Nazi attack in the mountains of Norway. The premise of the film is similar to that of the draugr, a Scandinavian folkloric undead greedily protecting its (often stolen) treasures. NYAV Post has produced an English dub of this film for the home media release.

Plot

[edit]

A woman, Sara, is being chased through the snows of Norway. She is ultimately cornered and eaten by zombies wearing World War II Nazi SS uniforms.

Seven students on Easter vacation arrive at a small cabin near Øksfjord, owned by Sara. The group begins to drink and party until a mysterious hiker arrives. He tells them the dark history of the region; during World War II, a force of Einsatzgruppe, led by Standartenführer Herzog, occupied the area. For three years, the Nazis abused and tortured the local people. Near the end of the war, with Germany's defeat looming, the soldiers looted all the town's valuables. However, the citizens staged an uprising and ambushed them, killing many. The survivors, including Herzog, were chased into the mountains, and it was assumed that they all froze to death. The hiker then continues on his way. That night, Vegard wakes to a figure placing something beneath the floorboards of the cabin. He calls out, believing it to be Sara, but she ignores him and leaves. Vegard follows, and finds her outside covered in blood. Vegard suddenly jolts awake in his bed, revealing it was a dream. Meanwhile, the hiker has set up camp in the mountains and is eating dinner when he is disturbed by a noise outside. He investigates, and is attacked and killed by a zombie.

The next morning, Vegard, out looking for Sara, discovers the hiker's body. He searches the area, falls through the snow into a cave, and is knocked unconscious. After sunset, Erlend finds an old wooden box filled with valuables and golden trinkets. They celebrate, and one of them pockets a gold coin. They eventually return the rest of the treasure to the box. Erlend goes to the outhouse where he and Chris have sex. Afterwards, Erlend returns to the cabin, and drops a gold coin. Chris is attacked by a zombie, and killed. The others leave the cabin to look for her, and find Sara's rucksack buried in the snow.

Upon returning to the cabin, they are attacked. Erlend is killed in an attempt to defend the cabin, and the others secure the cabin. Vegard comes around in the cave, discovering German firearms and helmets, as well as Sara's severed head. He is attacked, but escapes to the surface, where he is confronted by a zombie. Vegard stabs the zombie in the eye, but is knocked from the cliff side by a second assailant. Vegard is bitten in the neck by the zombie, whilst the two hang from the cliff using an intestine as rope. He climbs back to the snowmobile, stitches his wounds, and mounts a MG 34 machine gun to his snowmobile.

Meanwhile, the remaining four students decide to split up. The two men, Martin and Roy, attempt to distract the zombies, while the two women, Hanna and Liv, run for the cars and go for help. En route to the cars, the girls are ambushed. Liv is knocked out by a zombie and awakens to him and another zombie pulling out her intestines. Using a stick grenade, she commits suicide and kills her assailants. Hanna leads a zombie to a cliff edge, breaks the ice, and they fall. The pair survive, and Hanna kills the zombie.

Martin and Roy accidentally set fire to the cabin with Molotov cocktails. They escape, and arm themselves with power tools. More zombies attack, but they are aided by Vegard. During the attack Vegard is killed and Martin accidentally kills Hanna, who has returned to the cabin. Herzog arrives, leading a group of zombies. They attack, and Martin is bitten on the arm. To avoid becoming infected, he cuts off his arm with a chainsaw. After killing the remaining undead, Martin and Roy are about to attack Herzog, who calls upon hundreds of zombies, that rise from under the snow. Whilst running from their attackers, Roy is hit in the head by a hammer, disemboweled by a tree branch, and killed by Herzog, who retrieves a watch from his pocket.

Martin realises the zombies' intent, and retrieves the box from the ruined cabin. He returns the box to Herzog, and escapes to the car. There, he finds a gold coin in his pocket, just as Herzog smashes the window of the car.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

In creating the film's Nazi zombies, writer and director Tommy Wirkola concluded that the best way to enhance the horror and disgust of standard zombies was to give them the Nazi element; he also used the historical backdrop of the Nazi occupation of Norway in developing the film's plot. In an interview, Wirkola said: "When we were about to sit down and write the actual script, we started thinking 'What is more evil than a zombie'? A Nazi-zombie! We have a really strong war-history up in the north of Norway from World War Two, so it was fun to combine actual events with our own story. And you know Nazis have always been the ultimate villains in movies. Combine that with zombies and you really get something that no one would sympathise with".[3] Wirkola, who also appeared in a cameo as one of the zombie soldiers, said of his monsters: "I like to think of them as Nazi zombies. Nazis first, then zombies".[4]

Even though a curse is alluded to in the beginning of the film, through the Nazi occupation and the subsequent burial grounds in the Norwegian mountains, it is not shown how the Nazis became zombies. Wirkola used the curse angle in the creation of the film's zombies: "We went for the old-fashioned ones where they're cursed. For me there are two types of zombie films: the curse and the plague or virus. So we wanted ours to be like a ghost story mixed with Indiana Jones".[5]

The special effects make-up team responsible were Per Steinar Hoftun and Shino Kotani, both of Freax FX, and Steinar Kaarstein, of Effektmakeren.[6] The development crew also included Janne Røhmen (key make-up artist), Elisabeth Haugan, Gudmund Saksvik, Lene Bruksås, and Ragnhild Prestholt.[7] Despite being set in the village of Øksfjord in Loppa Municipality, the film was shot in Alta Municipality and Målselv Municipality.

Release

[edit]

The film was distributed by Euforia Film[8] and released on 9 January 2009 in Norway.[9] The U.S. premiere was held at the Sundance Film Festival,[10] after which IFC Films purchased the U.S. distribution rights.[11] The film received a limited release in the U.S. starting 19 June 2009,[12] before its DVD release on 23 February 2010.[13]

Reception

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 68% based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's critics consensus states: "Though it doesn't cover new ground, Dead Snow is an entertaining mix of camp, scares, and blood and guts".[14] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]

Dead Snow received mixed reviews from Norwegian critics, and was rated 3/6 by both Verdens Gang[16] and Dagbladet.[17] According to Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, director Tommy Wirkola, "who wrote the irrelevant screenplay with Stig Frode Henriksen, doesn't just hit every horror beat; he pounds it to an indistinguishable pulp".[18] She highlighted the special effects team for acclaim for their "admirably disgusting" work.[18] Stephen Witty of The Star-Ledger also commented positively on the film's visuals, and lauded Wirkola for his "steady hand with the action scenes", but identified the plot as the film's weakness. He accused the characters of lacking motivation, and for being "pretty much indistinguishable from one another". He also criticized the film's ending.[19]

The film was nominated for four 2009 Scream Awards: Fight-to-the-Death Scene, Most Memorable Mutilation, Best Foreign Movie and Best Horror Movie.[20]

Sequel

[edit]

A sequel to Dead Snow entitled Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, also directed by Tommy Wirkola, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and was released in Norway the same year. Vegar Hoel, Ørjan Gamst, and Charlotte Frogner reprise their roles from the first film, with Stig Frode Henriksen returning as a different character, and Martin Starr, Kristoffer Joner, and Derek Mears joining the cast. Unlike Dead Snow, which was shot exclusively in Norwegian, Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead was filmed simultaneously in English and Norwegian.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Dead Snow

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
![Dead Snow film poster](./assets/Dead_Snow_2009film2009_film Dead Snow (Norwegian: Død snø) is a 2009 Norwegian horror comedy film directed and co-written by , centering on a group of medical students whose ski vacation in the remote Øksfjord mountains turns deadly when they unearth and awaken a battalion of Nazi soldiers from , leading to gory battles for survival. The film employs extensive practical effects for its splatter sequences, blending tropes with black humor and nods to Norse like the , while critiquing wartime atrocities through its antagonist horde seeking lost gold plundered during the Nazi occupation of . Produced on a modest budget of approximately 4.5 million Norwegian kroner, it premiered in on January 9, 2009, and gained international limited release, earning cult acclaim for its unapologetic violence and inventive kills, such as chainsaw dismemberments and intestine lassos. Despite a lukewarm critical reception averaging 67% on , it secured two awards including at the and nominations for four in categories like Best Fight Scene, reflecting its appeal in genre circles. Box office performance was limited, grossing $41,737 in the US but performing better in markets, paving the way for Wirkola's career trajectory including the 2014 sequel Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead.

Synopsis

Plot

A group of medical students, including Martin, Vegard, Roy, Erland, Chris, Hanna, and Liv, arrives at a remote cabin in the Norwegian mountains of Rondane National Park for an Easter vacation involving skiing and relaxation. They are visited by a hiker who recounts the local history: during World War II, Nazi forces under Colonel Herzog plundered gold and silver from villagers, prompting a revolt by 3,000 locals who killed most of the soldiers; the survivors fled into the mountains with the treasure, their bodies never recovered, leaving a curse on the land. The hiker departs on a snowmobile but is pursued and attacked by undead Nazi soldiers, escaping to a cave despite a neck bite. Meanwhile, Vegard leaves to retrieve his girlfriend Sara, who is delayed in arriving; he finds signs of struggle but no trace of her initially. The students discover a hidden chest filled with coins and valuables near the cabin, which they decide to keep. This act disturbs the undead and SS troops from Herzog's unit, who rise from the snow to reclaim their stolen property, exhibiting relentless aggression and using their own intestines as improvised weapons. The zombies first assault the cabin at night, biting Roy in the leg; the group amputates the limb to prevent , but Roy reanimates and is killed. Erland is disemboweled and killed while defending the perimeter, and Liv is torn apart during an escape attempt. The survivors improvise defenses with axes, shovels, knives, and Molotov cocktails, later acquiring a zombie's MP40 submachine gun for more effective resistance. Vegard reunites briefly with the group, having witnessed Sara's death by zombies en route, and uses the machine gun to mow down dozens in a field, though he is eventually overwhelmed and killed after exhausting ammunition. Chris dies from blood loss after a severe mauling, while Hanna detonates a grenade to take out several zombies at the cost of her own life. Martin, the protagonist, engages in brutal hand-to-hand combat, employing a chainsaw to dismember attackers. In the climax, Martin suffers bites on both arms, amputates the infected left one with the chainsaw, and wields the severed zombie limb of Colonel Herzog to bludgeon remaining foes. He escapes on a snowmobile laden with the gold to draw the pursuing horde away from the cabin, crashing into a ravine where he discards the treasure. Though the zombies halt briefly to retrieve the gold, Herzog continues the chase on foot; Martin fends him off with the severed arm before riding away wounded. The film ends with Martin surviving but additional zombies emerging from the snow, suggesting the threat persists.

Themes and Analysis

Historical Inspirations

The , initiated by on April 9, 1940, and lasting until the on May 8, 1945, provides the historical foundation for the undead forces in Dead Snow. German troops, numbering over 300,000 by war's end, controlled key territories including northern regions like , where the film's events are set near Øksfjord. These forces constructed extensive fortifications, airfields, and coastal defenses amid conditions, facing supply challenges and partisan threats that contributed to casualties from exposure and combat. In late 1944, as Soviet forces advanced into following the Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive, retreating German units under Operation Nordlicht implemented a scorched-earth policy, destroying over 90% of buildings in the region to deny resources to pursuers; this included burning villages, mines, and infrastructure across 40,000 square kilometers, displacing 70,000 civilians into harsh winter evacuations. Harsh weather, with temperatures dropping below -30°C and blizzards common, led to documented deaths among troops from and avalanches during the withdrawal, burying equipment and remains under snow for years. Director referenced this "strong war history" in as the rationale for situating Nazi remnants there, amplifying the premise with the empirical reality of preserved corpses in permafrost-like conditions rather than inventing ahistorical elements. Norwegian resistance activities from 1940 to 1945, coordinated through groups like with over 40,000 members by 1944, involved sabotage of German supply lines, intelligence gathering for Allied bombings, and guerrilla actions that inflicted disproportionate losses on occupiers relative to the population's size. These efforts, including attacks on plants vital to Nazi atomic research, underscore the causal dynamics of occupation-era conflicts without romanticization, as German reprisals included executions and deportations of over 700 Norwegians to concentration camps. The film maintains Nazis as clear aggressors, aligning with records of plunder—such as extraction of 20% of Norway's merchant fleet and nickel resources—and documented atrocities like the execution of civilians in , avoiding any sympathetic revisionism. Wirkola's approach integrates this backdrop to motivate the undead resurgence through wartime grievances, drawing on local oral histories of buried soldiers without fabricating narratives that humanize , as confirmed in his statements emphasizing Nazis' inherent villainy amplified by zombification. This grounds the horror in causal realism: aggressors' unburied dead, disturbed after decades, enact vengeance rooted in their historical predations rather than alone, though Norse concepts parallel the preservation motif.

Genre Conventions and Innovations

Dead Snow conforms to core zombie horror conventions by depicting a group of young adults isolated in a remote cabin, forced to improvise defenses against an horde, echoing the survival dynamics in George A. Romero's (1968), where human fragility against inexorable attackers drives tension through barricades and attrition. The film's exhibit relentless pursuit mechanics, prioritizing overwhelming numbers and environmental adaptation over individual speed, akin to Romero's shambling masses, though sequences accelerate into fast-action gore for comedic punctuation, blending deliberate buildup with explosive . Snowy terrain introduces tactical realism, as deep drifts impede escapes and pursuits, causal factors that heighten stakes by limiting mobility and visibility compared to flat-land or indoor zombie chases in prior entries. Humor emerges from absurd escalations rather than pointed , with characters deploying improvised weapons—shovels for decapitations, intestines as lassos—subverting slasher clichés of interchangeable victims by emphasizing grotesque, physics-grounded consequences, such as severed limbs continuing attacks, without resolving plot conveniences like infinite ammo or plot-armor survival. This draws derivative elements from Sam Raimi's (1981) and Peter Jackson's (1992), including cabin isolation yielding to visceral, over-the-top kills, as director explicitly cited these as formative influences for the film's gore-comedy hybrid. Yet, it innovates by rooting the premise in Norwegian of cabin ski retreats, where seasonal solitude amplifies horror through cultural familiarity—groups typically seek relaxation in remote mountains during the holiday—transforming a mundane national pastime into a setup for ambush without relying on American college-party tropes. On a reported of $800,000 USD, the film achieves innovations in prosthetic-heavy practical effects for sequences, employing layered and for efficient, tangible gore that withstands repeated low-budget reshoots, prioritizing causal impact—blood sprays reacting to motion and gravity—over digital shortcuts common in contemporaneous fare. This approach yields sequences of reassembling via cursed cohesion, a mechanic extending Romero's reanimation logic into modular horror, where partial corpses retain agency, critiquing passive passivity while enabling humor in fragmented pursuits.

Production

Development

Tommy Wirkola conceived the core premise of Dead Snow during his early career, drawing from Norway's stark winter environments and the historical Nazi occupation of northern regions during World War II, which provided a backdrop for undead soldiers rising in snow-covered isolation. The idea evolved from basic zombie concepts in student shorts to a feature-length script co-written with Stig Frode Henriksen, finalized by 2007 after Wirkola's prior low-budget success with Kill Buljo (2007), which demonstrated viability for genre filmmaking in Norway. Key to the narrative genesis was amplifying zombie menace by specifying Nazi undead, a choice made explicitly during scripting to exceed standard horror tropes with historical evil. Financing relied on independent channels amid limited commercial prospects for Norwegian horror, securing a production budget of roughly $800,000 through grants from the Norwegian Film Institute—the primary national funding body—and private investors, underscoring causal barriers like market skepticism toward subtitled genre fare. Wirkola opted to shoot in Norwegian with English to preserve linguistic authenticity and cultural specificity, targeting broader international distribution without diluting the film's Nordic identity, a pragmatic decision informed by influences prioritizing visceral appeal over linguistic barriers. Script iterations focused on equilibrating extreme gore sequences with rudimentary character arcs for the medical students, eschewing overdependence on jump scares in favor of sustained tension and references to horror precedents like Sam Raimi's series, ensuring the final draft supported practical execution within budget constraints.

Casting

The principal cast of Dead Snow was assembled with a focus on Norwegian actors, many of whom were relative unknowns at the time, reflecting the film's modest budget of approximately 2 million Norwegian kroner (around $300,000 USD). Director , prioritizing authentic group dynamics over individual star power, sought performers who could convincingly portray a tight-knit group of medical students turned survivors. Casting emphasized on-screen and off-screen chemistry, as the production involved two months of isolated shooting in remote Norwegian mountains; Wirkola noted that "you have to look like a gang of friends on screen, but when you are stuck out in a 'school' in the middle of nowhere shooting for two months, you need to be a gang of friends off screen as well." Talented auditionees were sometimes passed over if they failed to integrate with the ensemble, ensuring scripted personality archetypes—such as the reluctant everyman or the bold leader—translated into cohesive, earnest interactions without detached irony. Vegar Hoel was selected for the lead role of Martin, the film's reluctant whose arc drives the survival narrative, leveraging Hoel's approachable, non-heroic demeanor to embody an ordinary student thrust into horror. portrayed Hanna, the group's sole prominent female survivor, chosen for her ability to convey resourcefulness and competence amid chaos, subverting passive victim stereotypes common in low-budget horror. Supporting roles filled by actors like Stig Frode Henriksen (Roy), (Erlend), Lasse Valdal (Vegard), and Evy Kasseth Røsten (Liv) utilized disposable ensemble members whose "everyman" disposability suited the film's high body-count premise, with selections favoring local talent for cost efficiency and cultural authenticity over established names. This approach avoided international stars, which would have exceeded the constrained resources, instead capitalizing on Nordic performers' familiarity with the setting to ground the Nazi invasion in a plausibly isolated, wintry Norwegian context.

Principal Photography

Principal photography for Dead Snow was conducted primarily on location in , with key sites in Alta, , and Målselv, , to capture the film's remote, snow-covered mountain environments authentically. The shoot took place during winter, enabling natural deep snow essential for the narrative's isolated ski cabin premise, though exact dates remain undocumented in public records. This timing directly influenced scheduling, as crews relied on seasonal conditions north of the for visual realism without artificial snow supplementation. Extreme cold presented the foremost logistical hurdle, with temperatures reaching -20°C during mountain exteriors, impacting actor performance, equipment functionality, and overall endurance; director identified weather as the production's greatest difficulty, necessitating adaptive strategies to sustain momentum amid frozen conditions. Most sequences utilized practical on-site filming rather than extensive greenscreen, including exterior action and zombie pursuits, to ground the horror in tangible spatial dynamics while limiting CGI to minor enhancements.

Practical Effects and Gore

The practical effects in Dead Snow relied heavily on prosthetics and mechanical setups crafted by Norwegian specialists to simulate dismemberments and bodily trauma, enabling sequences of high-volume and within the film's constrained resources. Syrup-based blood was employed for arterial sprays and wounds, but sub-zero temperatures caused it to freeze during outdoor shoots, prompting selective use of digital compositing to maintain in affected shots. Director highlighted the integration of these elements with the alpine setting, noting the challenge of "zombie make up and zombie special effects… combined with cold and weather." Techniques drew inspiration from Peter Jackson's (1992), adapting low-cost methods like hydraulic rigs for limb detachment and animatronic assists for zombie movements to suit snow-covered terrain, where props often required excavation from drifts post-take. Visceral kills—such as chainsaw severances and manual entrails extraction viewed in subjective POV—prioritized tangible physics over CGI augmentation, yielding effects that critics described as "creative makeup, dismemberments, and gore effects that favor old-school splatter" for their immediate, unpolished authenticity. However, the haste of production occasionally revealed prosthetic seams or mismatched textures under prolonged camera scrutiny, underscoring trade-offs in a feature completed on a emphasizing ingenuity over polish. These efforts marked an early benchmark for Scandinavian horror's embrace of practical gore, influencing subsequent Norwegian productions by demonstrating scalable prosthetics workflows amid environmental adversities, as evidenced by the film's technical legacy in regional effects discourse.

Release

Premiere and Festivals

Dead Snow had its Norwegian theatrical release on January 9, 2009, followed by its international in the Midnight section of the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009. The screening drew significant attention for its blend of extreme gore and comedic elements involving , with high audience interest leading to IFC Films acquiring U.S. distribution rights shortly thereafter on January 21, 2009. Director Tommy Wirkola's post-screening introduction highlighted the film's resourceful production on a modest of approximately $800,000, emphasizing practical effects achieved without major studio support. Subsequent festival screenings amplified distributor interest, including appearances at the Crossing Europe Festival in and the London FrightFest in the during 2009. Later in the year, it screened in the Midnight section of the from July 3 to 11. Early audience responses at these events praised the film's unpretentious entertainment value and visceral splatter effects over narrative sophistication, positioning it as a crowd-pleasing exercise rather than a profound horror entry.

Distribution and Box Office

Dead Snow premiered theatrically in on January 9, 2009, distributed by Euforia Film. Following its screening at the , IFC Films acquired North American rights and released the film in limited U.S. theaters on June 19, 2009. International distribution expanded to markets including , , and parts of , with releases staggered through 2009. The film earned $1,670,092 in , accounting for the majority of its revenue, alongside $46,742 in the U.S. and smaller amounts in other territories such as $182,135 in and $85,693 in /CIS. Worldwide theatrical gross reached approximately $2.17 million against a of $800,000. Home media distribution included DVD releases post-theatrical runs, followed by availability on streaming services like , which broadened access beyond initial cinema audiences. The film's niche as a horror constrained broader commercial appeal, yielding stronger relative performance in Scandinavian markets due to local production and familiarity with the genre's conventions compared to international territories.

Reception

Critical Response

Dead Snow garnered mixed to positive critical reception, earning a 67% approval rating on from 76 reviews, with the consensus praising its "gross, darkly funny and bonkers" qualities as a featuring "ridiculous action and some memorable characters." rated it 2.5 out of 4 stars, commending the film's sincere earnestness in portraying attacks seriously amid comedic excess, though he observed it lacked the self-conscious wit of influences like . Reviewers frequently highlighted the practical gore effects and inventive kill sequences, such as snowmobile treads shredding Nazis, as standout elements that injected fresh energy into the subgenre through its isolated snowy Norwegian setting. Critics appreciated the film's humorous blend of horror tropes with historical specificity, portraying not as sanitized villains but as fodder for visceral, over-the-top that drives the appeal without implying endorsement of their . Norwegian reviewers valued this local adaptation of siege narrative, infusing it with national about wartime atrocities, though international responses were divided on whether the cultural references enhanced or limited . In Norway, major outlets like and issued middling assessments, each scoring it 3 out of 6, reflecting ambivalence toward its gore-heavy execution over narrative depth. Common criticisms focused on underdeveloped characters who blurred into indistinguishability amid the chaos, a formulaic setup reliant on genre clichés, and an abrupt conclusion that prioritized spectacle over motivational coherence. On , it scored 59 out of 100 from 10 reviews, indicating average reception where strengths in splatter humor offset flaws in plotting and character work. Despite these shortcomings, the film's unapologetic emphasis on empirical gore innovation—drawing from practical effects inspired by —was seen as a key achievement in elevating a premise into a distinctive, if uneven, entry in cinema.

Audience and Cult Following

Dead Snow has cultivated a dedicated among horror enthusiasts, particularly those drawn to its blend of extreme gore, black humor, and over-the-top Nazi premise, which resonated through midnight screenings and appearances following its 2009 release. Fans often highlight the film's quotable absurdities and visceral practical effects, prioritizing visceral over polished storytelling, as evidenced by its enduring appeal at genre events where audiences celebrate its unapologetic splatter elements. Audience metrics reflect this niche loyalty, with an user rating of 6.3/10 based on over 72,000 votes and a audience score of 56%, indicating consistent appreciation from genre fans despite broader mixed reception on elements like pacing. availability and streaming on platforms such as and have sustained viewership, fostering repeat watches focused on memorable setpieces like dismemberments and explosive confrontations, even as some viewers note uneven narrative flow. In , the film influenced youth interest in domestic indie horror production, contributing to a post- upswing in low-budget Nordic genre efforts by demonstrating viability of local talent tackling international tropes without ideological agendas. This impact is seen in its role as a gateway for younger audiences to appreciate homegrown splatter cinema, emphasizing practical effects and cabin-in-the-woods setups rooted in regional holiday traditions.

Awards and Recognition

Dead Snow garnered limited formal recognition, primarily in genre-specific festivals and fan-driven awards that underscored its gore-heavy practical effects and comedy elements rather than narrative depth. The film won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the in 2009, reflecting strong viewer enthusiasm for its over-the-top horror sequences. It received four nominations at the 2009 —Best Horror Movie, Best Foreign Movie, Most Memorable Mutilation, and Fight-to-the-Death Scene—highlighting memorable violent set pieces amid critiques of formulaic plotting. These genre accolades validated the film's technical achievements in makeup and effects, executed on a modest budget of approximately 1.3 million euros, but it secured no major international honors such as nominations, consistent with its niche appeal outside mainstream cinema. The awards' focus on visceral elements contributed to director 's rising profile, paving the way for subsequent projects like Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, though the absence of screenplay or dramatic category nods aligned with reviewers' observations of derivative storytelling borrowed from films like .

Franchise Expansion

Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead

Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead is a 2014 Norwegian horror written and directed by , functioning as a direct sequel to his film Dead Snow. The story commences immediately following the events of the predecessor, centering on protagonist Martin (played by Vegar Hoel), the lone survivor who, after amputating his own arm to escape , receives prosthetic chainsaw arms from a sympathetic doctor. Martin confronts an amplified Nazi undead force led by the revived Colonel Herzog while inadvertently assembling a of reanimated Soviet zombies, culminating in large-scale battles evoking conflicts between fascist and communist armies. The production marked notable departures from the original, including a budget escalation to an estimated 35 million Norwegian kroner (approximately $5.9 million USD at 2014 exchange rates), enabling expanded practical effects sequences and an ensemble cast incorporating English-speaking actors such as Martin Starr as an American zombie enthusiast. Unlike the predominantly Norwegian-language first film, Dead Snow 2 was filmed largely in English to broaden international marketability, incorporating bilingual elements where Norwegian performers reprise roles. It premiered in the Midnight section at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2014, securing U.S. distribution rights shortly thereafter. Innovations in the sequel emphasized grotesque humor and over-the-top action, such as Martin's dual prosthetics facilitating of foes and the of Soviet —depicted as equally relentless adversaries-turned-allies—leading to chaotic, ideologically themed undead clashes that historical animosities. These elements amplified the film's comedic , with sequences featuring zombie squad antics and improvised weaponry, diverging from the original's more survival-horror leanings toward relentless . However, critics observed that this escalation in silliness, including repeated resurrections and escalating gore without commensurate stakes, occasionally undermined , rendering the narrative more cartoonish than terrifying. Commercially, the film underperformed relative to its increased investment, earning a worldwide gross of $1,187,477, with modest U.S. returns of $37,473 upon its October 10, 2014, limited release, reflecting challenges in penetrating mainstream horror audiences despite festival buzz.

Prospects for Dead Snow 3

In August 2017, director Tommy Wirkola announced plans for Dead Snow 3, positioning it as the franchise's concluding installment with an expanded scale, including a zombie Adolf Hitler leading an undead army to escalate the Nazi zombie conflict. Wirkola described the inclusion of zombie Hitler as a "natural" progression to surpass the gore and absurdity of prior entries, emphasizing the need to "top what we've done before." Development has remained stalled without confirmed production as of October 2025, attributed to persistent financing challenges and Wirkola's commitments to Hollywood projects such as Violent Night (2022). Despite intermittent updates reaffirming interest, including a 2021 statement that the project was "in the works," no scripting, casting, or funding milestones have materialized in the intervening years. The Norwegian independent production model, reliant on limited domestic budgets and international co-financing, faces empirical barriers against global competition, where escalating effects demands—such as larger zombie hordes and historical undead clashes—require substantial investment unlikely without a major studio backer. Prospects appear dim given the eight-year delay pattern observed in the series, suggesting overambition in gore escalation may outpace viable economics for a niche horror-comedy; Wirkola's focus on mainstream action films further diminishes near-term feasibility absent a pivotal shift in priorities or external funding.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/
  2. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dead_snow
  3. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/plotsummary/
  4. https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/tommy-wirkola/dead-snow-dod-sno
  5. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/awards/
  6. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1278340/
  7. https://horror.fandom.com/wiki/Dead_Snow_%282009%29
  8. https://www.cautionspoilers.com/film-reviews/dead-snow/
  9. https://collider.com/dead-snow-best-zombie-movie/
  10. https://movieweb.com/dead-snow-how-these-nazi-zombie-movies-are-actually-great/
  11. https://culturecrypt.com/movie-reviews/dead-snow-2009
  12. https://www.fergusmurraysculpture.com/arctic-norway/the-german-occupation-in-wwii/operation-nordlicht/
  13. https://norwegianhistory.medium.com/when-nearly-half-of-norway-burned-down-fb08f482689f
  14. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20171203-the-norwegian-town-the-world-tried-to-erase
  15. https://readingthepast.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-burning-of-finnmark-unsung-tale.html
  16. https://www.kpbs.org/news/arts-culture/2009/06/21/dead-snow
  17. https://discover.hubpages.com/entertainment/Dead-Snow-Movie-Review-The-Unavoidable-Uber-villain
  18. https://www.moriareviews.com/horror/dead-snow-2009.htm
  19. https://www.joblo.com/dead-snow-2009-revisited-horror-movie-review/
  20. https://chud.com/19855/review-dead-snow/
  21. https://www.visitnorway.com/typically-norwegian/easter/crime-time/
  22. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Dod-sno
  23. https://www.kviff.com/en/programme/film/17/5166-dead-snow
  24. https://thelastblogontheleftcom.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/dead-snow-2009/
  25. https://ifta-online.org/marketplace-research/insights-articles/what-types-of-low-budget-films-break-out/
  26. https://www.norwegianfilm.com/funds
  27. https://collegemoviereview.com/interviews/tommy-wirkola-director-of-dead-snow/
  28. https://www.eatmybrains.com/showfeature.php?id=95
  29. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/fullcredits/
  30. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/tommy-wirkola-talks-directing-noomi-rapace-what-happened-monday-q-a-afm-2016-944435/
  31. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/locations/
  32. https://hellhorror.com/movies/dead-snow-dod-sno-review-40161.html
  33. https://www.nrk.no/viten/spesialeffekter-i-verdensklasse-1.7552944
  34. https://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/39811
  35. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/ifc-films-falls-dead-snow-78005/
  36. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/faq/
  37. https://www.crossingeurope.at/en/archive/films_2009&programm_id=1481167654168&festival=2009
  38. https://serenevelocity.com/2009/09/01/frightfest-2009-roundup/
  39. https://www.kviff.com/en/programme/archive-of-films/2009/d
  40. https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2009/04/review-dead-snow/
  41. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/releaseinfo/
  42. https://www.netflix.com/title/70112467
  43. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dead-snow-2009
  44. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dead_snow/reviews
  45. https://www.reddit.com/r/NetflixBestOf/comments/2wtp0i/us_dead_snow_2009_a_horror_film_about_nazi/
  46. https://reeltimeflicks.com/2020/10/25/dead-snow-2009/
  47. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/reviews/
  48. https://www.fangoria.com/review-dead-snow/
  49. https://eofftvreview.wordpress.com/2024/12/19/dead-snow-2009/
  50. https://cultfollowing.co.uk/2020/07/21/dead-snow-review/
  51. https://spectrumculture.com/2009/06/23/dead-snow/
  52. https://tubitv.com/movies/100000048/dead-snow
  53. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780748693191-017/html
  54. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dead-snow-2-red-vs-dead-2014
  55. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sundance-nazi-zombie-sequel-dead-673332/
  56. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2832470/
  57. https://www.elledriver.fr/en/movie/dead-snow-2-red-vs-dead
  58. https://influxmagazine.com/dead-snow-2-red-vs-dead-review/
  59. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2832470/?ref_=bo_se_r_1
  60. https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3454364/dead-snow-3-happening-itll-feature-zombie-hitler/
  61. https://movieweb.com/dead-snow-3-announced-zombie-hitler/
  62. https://www.joblo.com/dead-snow-3-director-says-the-new-sequel-will-feature-a-zombie-hitler-589-02/
  63. https://www.imdb.com/news/ni61429319/
  64. https://www.joblo.com/dead-snow-3-will-feature-zombie-hitler-202/
  65. https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/w6bo9z/what_happened_to_dead_snow_3/
  66. https://www.imdb.com/news/ni57870931/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.