Permafrost (2024) User Reviews

bitter White snow + piercing Blue eyes

[vlinder23 · 5/10 · 4 November 2023]

I think one can only applaud the talent, effort and passion that go towards creating a first-time, feature length film. Lenni Uitto proves he has potential for a solid future in filmmaking.

Not generally a fan of post-apocalyptic genre, I was drawn into the gripping, opening scene and found myself eager to see where exactly this story was going to take me. From the beginning, Permafrost boasts a breathtaking cinematic experience to showcase a cold and lonely existence. Perfect ambiance for what was most-likely some very frigid filming.

The main character, James (played by Uitto) has some great, poignant and playful moments in his interactions with little girl Meg (Riley Hardy), as well as some authentic interactions with Sam (Frank Cutler) and the arctic sled dogs (Fluffy gave the most tender performance).

At times, I wasn't quite sure what was going on or how some of the character interactions fit in to advance the story, and felt like there could have been less characters and more depth into some favorites.

There were a few scene transitions that felt abrupt, where I wanted to finish feeling the emotion, but ended up being cut short by editing.

Although I found a couple of the scenes unrealistic in execution (shootout and bar scene), it was fun to see the Kafusi brothers in action off of the football field.

I was pleasantly surprised with the exquisite, original Soundtrack from Canadian composer Yann Latour.

I also give a nod for casting some convincing bad guys, Jeremiah (Cory Dangerfield) and Mikhail (Ayden Tyler Hatch).

Overall, I definitely had fun watching this film and I'm excited to see what else Uitto brings to life in the future.

An A For Effort film if there ever was one

[dallin-17428 · 6/10 · 22 October 2023]

All of the elements for an exciting film with rich subtext exist within this film. As a first-time feature for Director and Actor Lenni Uitto, it breaks the mold for what to expect from new talent.

Going into the movie, be prepared for the flow between scenes to feel somewhat disjointed and separated from one another. Motivations for each character feel sensationalized in the name of dramatization on screen, but the plot of the film stands as unique, creative and with great potential for a sequel or eventual reboot. The plot: "the world is thrown into an ice age-like state and human survivors exist in factions and exist in organized chaos to prolong their survival."

While there's a multiple holes that can be poked into this film, it still stands as one worth watching for any movie aficionado. The building blocks for an amazing film are there and anyone who watches the film can see that. But no film has ever achieved perfection, only completion. And I for one, can't wait to see what this new director/actor produces for us next.

Good original story with a heart.

[shoppergal · 7/10 · 22 October 2023]

While this genre of film, post-apocalyptic wasteland type story, isn't usually my thing, I have to say that I enjoyed this one for its originality and heart. There is some amazing cinematography in this and a great overall performance by the lead character who portrays both a ruthless, heartless man, while at the same time showing a more vulnerable and soft side.

I do wish the story was more simple. It seemed to get sidetracked at times with unneeded characters popping in and out of the film without much purpose or story advancement, which took away from the screentime of the characters I was most interested in and that had more importance.

That said, I was engaged and entertained. Loved the music and overall sound design, as well as the world building the film offered. An above average experience for me.

Hate giving bad reviews, but this is deserved

[rbstern · 1/10 · 3 February 2024]

I like the post apocalyptic genre. A lot of decent movies out there, and a few great ones.

This isn't one of those.

The plot is pretty standard fare: A once good man has become (at best) morally ambiguous loner, for a reason the film hints at, but doesn't quite reveal. He has a chance at redemption when he encounters a young girl who needs help.

The script is choppy and hammy. Most of the film is spent trudging through the snow, which would be okay, if the story was more convincing and the trudging somehow lent gravitas to the moral journey. But neither the script nor the plot convey the lesson very well.

The acting is wooden, across the board. Silly accents. Stiff delivery of lines.

Action sequences are poorly executed. Implausible, with bad editing thrown in, to cement the poor and unrealistic feeling of the scenes.

In one scene, two bad women on confront the young girl and her mom. One of the bad women shoots the mom. A moment later, the protagonist, unseen, shoots one of the bad women. The other bad women continues walking to grab the young girl, as if a rifle shot never happened, and there is no threat to her life. A moment later, she is shot dead.

There are several sequences like that. It's disjointed and disconnected from any kind of plausible realism. People, even hardened people, react to gunshots; rifles are REALLY loud. Human fight or flight instinct doesn't allow for casually continuing what you are doing when it is readily apparent you are about to be killed or maimed. Without fail, reflex reaction is to run, or turn to face the threat.

In the film, every encounter between people in the wilderness is life or death, or implies that it could be. And yet the protagonist makes campfires at night. NOBODY walking around the outdoors in an environment where encounters with others are likely to be fatally violent would make a nighttime campfire. It's like a neon sign saying "I'm here. Come kill me and take my stuff."

The filmmaker wants to tell a redemption tale set in a rugged, survivalist environment, but doesn't seem to understand humans in that setting.

I have no doubt, budget limitations contributed to this mess. There were sequences of glaring omission, where another handful of seconds of film, with a different perspective edited in, would have made a scene flow correctly.

20 minutes in, wanted to bail on this movie. I forced myself to get through it, knowing I had to write a review, to counter the fluff reviews that convinced me to watch this in the first place.

Nothing in the remaining 60 minutes was redeeming. In fact, it got worse.

Can't recommend this movie at all.

Boring, slow, terrible acting

[greenfield-574-576598 · 1/10 · 21 January 2024]

Acting is terrible, no pathos , i resisted 30 minutes. The plot is unbearably slow. I was drawn by the highest rate after spending long time to select a movie for the night i prime video list. I dont think the average rate (8.6 when i started it) is genuine Indeed there weere only 34 ratings. I think this movie is very difficult to see it until the ends, but of course one can try and see with his/her own eys. To me it looked pointless. The only one remarkable part is just a phrase when the actor says in the end that the "Power belongs to the people"l If this was the meaning of the movie, looks a good scope, but as movie itself will make you waste time if you are able to see it completely.

An ambitious concept executed impressively well for the resources available

[danmcbridefilms · 7/10 · 24 October 2023]

The Good: The first two opening shots had me hooked right away! Hands down the cinematography and visuals of the film were amazing. Shooting in full blown Utah mountain blizzards and almost the whole film in the snow made for some amazing shots that would be nearly impossible to duplicate. The music was perfect for the genre and really added to the beauty of the film. The performance of the lead character was good. Strong performances from many of the other cast members as well. The concept was big, and I think it meets a lot of the expectations you'd have for a post-apocalyptic setting. There are some really, really interesting characters that are introduced as well.

The Less Good: Now, I am aware of the budgetary restraints that indie films like these have, so the "Less Good" things I'll address are things I think could have been done a little better which wouldn't increase the overall budget. I think the biggest less good issue would be the script, I think the flow of the story was slightly confusing, I wasn't sure if things were flash backs or flash forwards. I think a lot of the motivations of the characters choices were purely to service the plot and didn't make sense on why they made those choices, or how they knew certain things about the main character. The amount of really intriguing characters that were introduced and then very quickly eliminated within the same scene mostly, was jarring, and muddied the script with unneeded scenes, characters, and distractions from the flow of the story.

Ultimately, its a fun watch and an accomplishment that the filmmakers should be proud of, it was ambitious even for a large budget film, and the talent and perseverance of the filmmakers is clear in what they accomplished. I would encourage filmmakers to watch it as proof of what can be done with a great team and great leaders. I would also encourage non-filmmaker to watch it as well to see something original, and not an over done Hollywood's sequel, prequal or re-make!

Excellent Dystopian story of Redemption and Self-Discovery

[rachelle5150 · 10/10 · 20 October 2023]

Wow, this is one I very highly recommend. It's engaging and entertaining, keeps the viewer wondering what is happening, doesn't give away too much. The relationships between a few of the characters are endearing and by the end of the film, we understand why the lead hero has made certain decisions, and we see a sort of redemption that is even better than one could have hoped for. Cinematography is stunning. And that soundtrack! Amazing. I wish the film could have been longer, I felt immersed and invested from the very beginning. There's a little girl in the film who really gave an outstanding performance, as well as the hero lead. He's a gentle giant with a big heart and a tragic past. The little girl holds her own against the "bad guys" and is sort of a conscience to the gruff rescuer. I'm trying not to give away too much. But I loved this film! Don't take my word for it... see it and enjoy! Well done to the cast and crew.

Surprising good post apocalyptic film

[ice_bender4 · 8/10 · 9 January 2024]

First I'll start by saying I don't particularly enjoy post apocalyptic films, mostly because they fall short of certain aspects while trying to build up a world.

I feel Permafrost was well done and you were quickly enveloped into James' world and the struggle to survive. Great cinematography and soundtrack.

It would've been nice for them to go into more detail on the factions, because they had so many different details but were disposed of before you even had a chance to feel for them.

Two standout actors were Luca(John Terry) and Tiberia(Charla Boccichio). I thought they brought something more to the written character that proved fascinating and you wanted to know more of their story.

I think that some character/casting choices were questionable but overall nothing to complain about.

I'd definitely give this a recommend and look forward to more work from Lenni Uitto, as you can tell that he is passionate about what he does.

A definition of hard work, teamwork and pure dedication.

[sudiptamaity-05684 · 8/10 · 24 October 2023]

Permafrost is an excellent indie film. The journey of the main characters is full of suspense. The chilling and freezing ambience adds to the mystery of the narratve. First of all kudos to each and every single cast and crew member in executing this piece. The amount of snow and cold that everyone have managed to work under is daunting. Their effort is truly commendable.

There were many sweet moments in this film, the story of Fluffy was my personal favorite, it touched my heart.

Lenni Uitto and Riley Hardy gave splendid performances. I wanted to see more of John Terry as I really enjoyed his performance, even if it was short.

The cinematography and background score were two of my most favorite aspects in the entire film, also the choice of colors.

The story has its originality. There are some parts which I personally felt, needed more pacing and build-up between characters to strengthen the emotional impact. A few scenes lacked realism.

Overall I would give 7 and a plus one for the dedication the team has put together. I would watch it again.