Out of all Mother Nature’s generous offerings to the world, snow and ice have always been among the most enchanting to the human soul, elements that are both beautiful and treacherous, depending on the circumstances. French filmmaker Lucile Hadzihalilovic's latest work, Berlin Film Festival winner The Ice Tower, echoes this sobering natural truth about snow, delivering a dazzling – at times opaque – movie with a hypnotic atmosphere that is bound to stay frozen in your memory.

Set deep within the French Alps during the 1970s, The Ice Tower stars Clara Pacini as Jeanne, a teenage orphan with dreams of discovering something more for her life, passing her time reading favorites, including Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, “The Snow Queen.” Jeanne decides to leave the mountaintop foster home and head to a nearby city, despite having no money or connections to support her once she arrives. On her first night in the town, she seeks refuge in a seemingly empty building, which turns out to be a film studio, where, coincidentally, an adaptation of “The Snow Queen” is in production.

In the movie’s eponymous role is Cristina (Marion Cotillard, who starred in Hadzihalilovic's feature debut, Innocence), a well-established actress with a steely exterior and commanding presence that match that of the fairytale character she portrays. The lost and lonely Jeanne becomes immediately infatuated with Cristina’s aura and the fantastical production, scoring a position as an extra that draws the girl deeper into the actress’s almost impenetrable world. As Jeanne’s situation dramatically transforms in ways she never imagined, she must learn how to navigate this new identity under the reign of Cristina’s disturbing Snow Queen.

The Ice Tower finds sharp potency within the singular spirit it embodies, maintaining a focus on stark contrasts between light and dark throughout its runtime. The glow from blindingly white snow is refracted through the crystals on the Snow Queen’s gown and then projected into the dark shadows of the film studio. The two central figures encapsulate this distinction: Jeanne is defined by her youthful innocence, which she cannot shake off despite her longing to fast-forward into womanhood, while Cristina is portrayed as a predatory figure that projects an ominous gloom over the film, evident in her diva-like outbursts.

Equipped with a dark bob and waifish looks that channel a young Amélie Poulain, Pacini evokes the fragility of her character, particularly as Jeanne’s background is revealed and we learn the source of her yearning to belong, which she finds on the film set and in her glorification of Cristina. When watching the movie, you would never know that Cotillard’s role was not written specifically for her, as she embodies the character's imperviousness with a severe elegance that works perfectly in tandem with her talents. The palpable back-and-forth of energy between these two characters serves as much of The Ice Tower’s structural backbone, a work that is much more fascinated with ambiance and feeling than with dialogue.

Hadzihalilovic’s latest retains the grimness of Andersen’s 19th-century work through its stunning construction, while also channeling its 1970s setting to create an audiovisual language that is wholly engaging, and arguably its most impressive attribute. Shot on film by cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg, The Ice Tower boasts many hypnotizing moments, enveloped by the harsh magnificence of the wintry weather. The gorgeously crafted film set and the tower from which it hails its name almost bleed into the surrounding natural landscape as we follow Jeanne through this unforgiving territory and its unsavory characters, all of whom are new to her. Sound designer Ken Yasumoto provides a nearly ever-present ethereal score for the film that supports its many silent stretches, filled with tinkling bells and unsettling strings.

Through its thematic explorations of obsession and reflection, The Ice Tower veers from its gauzy fantasy sensibilities into something more intriguingly Hitchcockian, complete with blonde wigs and menacing black crows. While the movie’s glacial tempo sets it miles apart from the conventions of Hollywood cinema, Hadzihalilovic’s understanding of the uncanny and her ability to evoke dread align it with such comparisons, particularly as Cristina begins grooming Jeanne for her moment in the spotlight.

At this year’s Berlinale, The Ice Tower was one of two female-directed adaptations of fairytales, the other being The Ugly Stepsister, directed by Emilie Blichfeldt. While the latter’s literal reworking of a classic boasts a great deal more commercial appeal, The Ice Tower ultimately stands shoulders above thanks to its enigmatic bleakness, culminating in a work that is equally challenging and captivating for arthouse audiences.

4/5

2025 | 117 min| Color | French with English Subtitles

‘The Ice Tower’ hits U.S. theaters beginning on Friday, October 3, courtesy of the movie’s distributor, Yellow Veil Pictures. Click here to find showtimes near you.

‘The Ice Tower’ Review: A Frosty, Hitchcockian Spin on a Classic Fairytale

4/5

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