Alive (1993)
Winter in the city is one thing, it’s a different thing in rural areas. But it’s a completely different animal on the mountains, especially when those mountains are the Andes, the highest mountain range outside of Asia. Oh, and Alive is based on a true story. The movie tells a tale of an Uruguayan rugby team stranded on the mountain after a plane crash and is one of the ultimate stories of survival primarily, but is also an inevitably winter themed movie.
The Revenant (2015)
The story of a frontiersman’s quest for revenge in the American wilderness of the 1820s after being left for dead is connected to weather conditions not only as a setting but as one of the themes. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and the lead Leonardo DiCaprio are both environmentalists and they’ve both wanted to subtly show the correlation between nature and man. The stunning cinematography will make you feel like you’re going through the harshest winter of your life.
Stalingrad (1993)
Following an elite German unit through the World War II in Europe, ending at the biggest battle of the war, Stalingrad does a great job of emphasizing the infamous Russian winter by contrasting it with the blissful Italian summer from the start of the movie. The war drama showcases the full brutality of the force of nature that had a major role in stopping the seemingly unstoppable Nazi war-machinery. You’ll never complain about shoveling the driveway after this epic tale of struggle puts things into perspective.
The Thing (1982)
When it comes to making your bones chill, John Carpenter’s The Thing is a two-punch combo as the harshest Antartic winter setting is amplified by one of the best horror stories of all time. As it is the case with a proper winter, even in urban settings, the snow immobilizes the characters, confining them to one place and making the viewer feel their dread and hopelessness with a strange familiarity.
Ice Age (2002)
Winter is an understatement for this comedic masterpiece which will make you feel like you’re back in your childhood boots during the winter break with your school friends, even though the movie is animated. And you’re not a prehistoric, extinct animal. The buddy road movie aspect of the story about a sabertooth tiger, a sloth, and a wooly mammoth trying to return a human baby to its tribe, combined with perfect voice acting and animation, guaranteed for an instant classic. One that can’t be sullied by the cash-grab sequels.
What are some of your favorite winter themed movies?
