The story revolves around a young Native American game warden who captures a notorious poacher only to learn that the poacher is aware of the location of a plane carrying millions of dollars that has crashed in a frozen lake.
It seems the creators of “Icefall” assumed the world had collectively forgotten about Renny Harlin’s 1993 action classic, “Cliffhanger”—perhaps believing that three decades is long enough to erase cinematic memory. Yet, “Icefall” does not merely echo Harlin’s narrative; it lifts it wholesale and attempts to rebrand it as a fresh action thriller, falling far short of the impact or inventiveness of its predecessor.
Joel Kinnaman stars as Harlan, a former soldier who lives off the land in the Montana wilderness, deep in Blackfoot territory. Haunted by loss—his Indigenous wife’s tragic suicide following the death of their infant daughter—Harlan leads a solitary existence in the wild. His routine is disrupted when, while ice fishing, he discovers a mysterious black suitcase trapped beneath the ice. Breaking it open, he finds it brimming with cash, and beneath the frozen surface, the wreckage of a small aircraft is visible.
Harlan’s path soon crosses with Ani (Cara Jade Myers), an Indigenous game warden. Their encounter is abruptly interrupted by an attack from unknown assailants. The pair narrowly escapes, only to learn that their pursuers are a group of terrorists responsible for a $20 million heist. The stolen money was hidden in suitcases aboard the ill-fated plane, which crashed in a storm. The criminals, having cleverly hidden tracking devices with the loot, have returned to reclaim their prize—but Harlan is now the only one who knows the precise location of the wreck. He and Ani, both familiar with the territory, resolve to thwart the criminals’ plans.
Throughout, “Icefall” offers little that is new, faithfully reproducing nearly every significant beat from “Cliffhanger.” The homage turns uncomfortably literal near the film’s climax, when a villain, in the midst of pummeling Harlan, demands to know the money’s whereabouts. Harlan’s silence prompts the antagonist to deliver a line straight from the ’93 original—“Wrong answer!”—a reference so overt it borders on parody. It is difficult to believe the filmmakers imagined such details would go unnoticed.
Despite Joel Kinnaman’s efforts, he fails to convince as an action lead. The script tells us Harlan is a battle-hardened veteran, yet in combat, he is repeatedly outmatched. Not even the presence of Danny Huston and Graham Greene elevates the proceedings; both appear resigned to their roles, with Huston delivering uninspired one-liners and Greene seeming to play a version of himself.
Originality is sorely lacking in “Icefall,” which is especially disappointing given the potential for a compelling story with a stronger script. As it stands, “Icefall” has already secured a place among the year’s most disappointing films—an ignominious distinction for a release in January.
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