Blood Glacier

Synopsis

Janek (Gerhard Liebmann) is a brilliant researcher that arrives in the Swiss Alps to investigate global warming. He's part of a larger group, but savors his time alone as he's a loner by nature. One day the group discovers a glacier covered in a strange red liquid that has odd effects on the surrounding wildlife. Janek's group grows excited as they realize that the liquid is transforming the local wildlife into strange new genetic hybrids, but Janek himself is more wary of the liquid and the potential dangers it poses. His caution is soon proven to be warranted, as the group begins to fall prey to the hybrids created by the liquid. A supervisory visit by the climate minister is scheduled, and Janek is horrified when he finds that a former girlfriend of his is among the newcomers.

Cast

Reception

Critical reception for Blood Glacier has been mixed and the movie currently holds a rating of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 13 reviews) and 43 on Metacritic (based on 8 reviews). Many reviewers made negative comparisons to John Carpenter's The Thing, with IndieWire stating that "this low budget chiller is unable to capture the same kind of awe and terror that made "The Thing" so powerful, although its attempt to be more character-based and emphasis on practical effects is somewhat admirable." Praise for the movie tended to center upon the movie's status as an eco-horror film, as multiple reviewers praised it for not being a "preachy diatribe" and for its monsters. The A.V. Club noted that while the film was very similar to other movies in the same genre, this worked in Blood Glacier's favor as it was "a movie viewers have seen dozens of times before, and will see again, with slight variations, because it embodies a fundamental quality of B-horror entertainment."

Awards