The Frozen Ground, a true-crime masterpiece

In The Frozen Ground, director Scott Walker created a harrowing true-crime saga that gripped every frame.

Set in 1980s Alaska, Nicolas Cage plays Robert Hansen, the real-life serial killer.

Hansen's sins, preying on isolated women, are uncovered by Corky, the tough police recruit played by Vanessa Hudgens.

Walker immerses the viewer in an atmosphere of piercing Alaskan cold that mirrors the coldness of Hansen's soul.

Between Cage's simmering menace and Hudgens' heart, their electric cat-and-mouse game is riveting.

Shot on the rugged Alaskan locations, Walker transports us inside this haunting open-air prison where Hansen found his prey.

The saga's dread increases as we follow Corky's relentless pursuit of justice in the face of waves of social indifference and police bureaucracy.

Though not for the faint-hearted, The Frozen Ground plumbs the depths of gender-based violence and systemic abuse of power with profound bravery.

It is a harrowing true-crime masterpiece, grounded in outstanding performances, that will be endlessly replayed and will influence the genre's unwavering documentary style for years to come.

Commercially, while not a blockbuster, the film found its ardent audience in the true crime genre. It grossed $3.7 million worldwide against a $15 million budget.

In the U.S. it took in $1.7 million in theaters and has since developed a strong cult following on home media.