Summary

• The thriller Cold Meat is an unexpected success at Netflix.
• Cold Meat's success mirrors Society of the Snow, showcasing a rise in snowy genre popularity.
• Cold Meat may not be as popular as Society of the Snow, but has the potential to be really successful.

Netflix recently added Cold Meat to their line-up, and the film's success is a hint at a much more significant trend among movies. Cold Meat is a 2024 thriller following David Petersen, a man who saves a woman from her abusive ex, but soon after, becomes trapped in a snowstorm and finds himself being stalked by a mysterious beast. The movie stars Allen Leech as David and Nina Bergman as Ana. After a limited theatrical release in February, the survival thriller Cold Meat is a Netflix hit.

Among Netflix's Top 10 most-watched English language movies during the final week of May 2024, Cold Meat took the number nine spot. It was reported to have 3.9 million viewers and 5.8 million streaming hours. Cold Meat's achievement is especially impressive because the movie isn't available to watch for American Netflix s. All in all, Cold Meat's place at the top of Netflix's charts not only reflects the quality of the movie, but is also a signal of a recent trend among Netflix viewers. It seems that snowy survival movies may be the next big thing.

Cold Meat Is Another Snowy Survival Movie To Be Popular On Netflix After Society Of The Snow

Society Of Snow Saw Incredible Success 5 Months Ago

Although the movies have obvious differences, including language, premise, and certain aspects of genre, the commonalities they do share make them a notable duo

Ordinarily, the success of Cold Meat wouldn't be very significant, but its proximity to another prosperous survival movie definitely makes it stand out. In December 2023, Netflix released the Andes disaster movie Society of the Snow, a dramatic thriller following the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team who crash lands in the Andes Mountains in 1972. Although the movies have obvious differences, including language, premise, and certain aspects of the genre, the commonalities they do share make them a notable duo. Both Cold Meat and Society of the Snow are popular films exploring a survival scenario amid treacherous snowy conditions.

When Society of the Snow was released on Netflix, it rose to prominence quickly. In its first 11 days, the film garnered 51 million streaming hours, and as of June 2, 2024, it is the second most popular international film on Netflix. It now has 239.7 hours viewed (via Catalan News). These numbers far exceed what Cold Meat has accumulated, but the movies' successes are still comparable. In a short time, Cold Meat has made a name for itself among Netflix's Top 10, and if it's lucky, the movie could reach the same heights that Society of the Snow has.

Why Cold Meat Is So Popular On Netflix & With Critics

Cold Meat Has A Tight, Thrilling Story

Cold Meat's popularity may be linked to a rising interest in snowy survival movies, but based on reviews, the movie has more merit than just an interesting premise. On Rotten Tomatoes, Cold Meat has an impressive 92% critics' score, with reviewers saying that the movie has a fast-paced, spooky storyline and a satisfying pay-off. To be fair, there are only 12 reviews currently posted for the film, but it's a good sign that almost all of them have positive things to say. Ultimately, Cold Meat is off to a strong start.

Is Cold Meat Based On A True Story Like Society Of The Snow?

The Supernatural Element Confirms Its Fictional Nature

At first glance, Cold Meat may seem like it's based on a true cold element survival story, but it pretty quickly veers into a clearly fictional realm. Once the cannibalistic elemental spirit begins to stalk David, that's where the story establishes that it's not an adaptation of any real-life event. In this way, it's far less like the true story Society of the Snow, and much more like Showtime's hit series Yellowjackets, which blends elements of survival, cannibalism, and the supernatural.

That's not to say Cold Meat doesn't have realism at its core. Indeed, it employs a realistically grounded portrayal of survival in many ways, and it's that adherence to realism that makes Cold Meat so effective when it does decide to weave in the more supernatural elements of the movie. But in of being based on a documented true story like Society of the Snow, that's a no on the part of Cold Meat. It's a wholly fictional creation, albeit a well-crafted one.

Other Survival Movies To Watch After Cold Meat

With Cold Meat being a big hit on Netflix, it's likely viewers will be looking for something similar to scratch the survival movie itch, especially if it's set in a frozen climate. Luckily, there's no dearth of cold climate survival thrillers out there for those who want to keep it going.

Some of the movies on this list, such as Alive, Everest, and The Revenant, are based on true stories of real historical events. Others are the purest form of man-vs-nature story, such as Arctic and The Grey. And at least one, The Thing, incorporates fantastical horror elements. All, however, take place in frozen, unforgiving settings and, much like Cold Meat, show characters pushed to their limits in the face of nature's most hostile climate.

Cold Meat is available to rent from Youtube, Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandago at Home, Google Play, and Redbox.