Shadows on the Wall | Dead of Winter

Dead of Winter

dir Brian Kirk
scr Nicholas Jacobson-Larson, Dalton Leeb
prd Greg Silverman, Jon Berg, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo
with Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden, Gaia Wise, Cuan Hosty-Blaney, Brian F O'Byrne, Dalton Leeb, Paul Hamilton, Lloyd Hutchinson
release US/UK 26.Sep.25
25/Canada 1h37

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Set in a snowy wilderness over a contained period in time, this gritty thriller is boosted by unexpected charm thanks to a warm, offbeat performance from Emma Thompson. Director Brian Kirk cleverly tells the story through this woman's eyes, offering only details she catches, so the mystery has a compelling urgency to it. Despite a few odd plot holes, it places unusually complex characters in almost mind-spinning situations.

Driving through a blizzard in the middle of nowhere, grieving widow Barb (Thompson) eventually makes her way to a familiar frozen lake. There she witnesses a burly man (Menchaca) menacing a young woman (Marsden), and she follows them back to an isolated cabin, where another woman (Greer) is brandishing a big gun. And now they're after Barb, who's not as old and helpless as she seems to be. She manages to outwit them at every step, but struggles to rescue the hostage, even after she manages to flag down two passing hunters (O'Byrne and Leeb).

Set in northern Minnesota but shot in Finland, the cold looks bitter, with icy forests stretching into the distance. And repeated images of blood on the snow create a superbly suspenseful vibe. By contrast, Barb has fond memories of visiting this same lake when she was young (played by Thompson's real-life daughter Wise in flashbacks) with her husband Karl (Hosty-Blaney). Their textured story is interwoven with the thriller narrative as Barb recalls her decades with Karl (later played by Hamilton).

As usual, Thompson puts her offhanded authenticity into the role, bringing Barb to life in unexpected ways as a reluctant action hero. Everything she does has remarkable intentionality as she tenaciously faces each challenge, including the requisite grisly stitching of her own wound. Greer's fentanyl-addicted mastermind is steely and relentless as she bosses Menchaca's hapless husband around. He is far more reluctant to resort to brutality than she is. And her intentions are genuinely nightmarish.

A scrappy Coen-brothers style of overwhelming desperation infuses this film, which centres around a woman who could have simply walked away. Instead, chooses to put herself in harm's way to help a stranger who is clearly in danger. The way Barb approaches each clash is notable because the script dodges most of the usual action-movie cliches. And as the flashbacks trace her highs and lows, we begin to understand what makes her tick. So even if the final sequence drifts way over the top, we're inspired by her tenacious compassion.

themes, language, violence 16.Sep.25

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