DEAD OF WINTER

The first thing you notice about 'Dead of Winter' is its stunning cinematography - every shot is a wash of greens and blues captured by DOP Christopher Ross (Apple TV+'s 'Shogun', 'Cats'), enforcing a strong emphasis to the film's title, depicting the landscape as harsh, inhospitable, yet utterly beguiling. Koli, Finland is a stand-in for Minnesota in the film; from the opening shots, the colours and sparseness reinforce just how ruthless an environment these characters are in, with the elements routinely acting as a third contender in this conflict.

It's not long after you're reminded of the utter brilliance of Emma Thompson. We've rarely seen her fail us, and this only reinforces just how versatile an actor she is. At the age of 66, Emma Thompson decides to embrace the action genre - and it's impossible not to root for the good-hearted midwestern Barb as she strives to free the captive and evade the kidnappers. While you completely expect Emma Thompson to be exemplary, it's Judy Greer who catches you by surprise as the gun-toting, lollipop-sucking baddie. It's actually wonderful to have two strong female characters at opposite ends of the ethical spectrum, and not something we get the chance to experience very often.

While Judy Greer's character is technically the film's baddie, the story does end up being more of a moral quandary than you would expect. It has more complexity than your average action thriller, thanks to writers Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb (both in their feature writing debuts). There's real motivation for this abduction, and while not morally justifiable, it at least gives the couple impetus that is so often missing in action or horror films. At a lean 98 minutes, the writing team and director Brian Kirk ('21 Bridges', TV's 'Game of Thrones') ensure the film is expedient with its storytelling and doesn't lag.

There are, perhaps, a few moments toward the end that feel a little convenient to the plot's progression, and there are many elements of the plot - the setting, the set pieces - that feel reminiscent (but be clear, not borrowed) from other action films. Regardless, the movie is vastly buoyed by the positive aspects of its production, and ends up with this being an overwhelmingly enjoyable affair.

Don't let 'Dead of Winter' fool you - much like Barb herself, it's full of surprises. Emma Thompson and Judy Greer are killer to watch, and its plot twists come from a question of morality that runs through the film's veins. It's one action thriller sure to unsettle you.