Dead of Winter

An above average thriller about a kidnapping, with the added bonus of hearing Emma Thompson do a midwestern accent lol. Her character's backstory (which is revealed in flashbacks throughout the movie), along with her performance, added a touching and endearing enough aspect to the movie that elevated it above just being a run-of-the-mill thriller. Pretty good cinematography in certain parts too.

The more I think of the plot the more painfully incredulous the motivating factors of the antagonists are laid bare. It is more than a bit bizarre and you wonder why on earth you would think they could do this.

Having said that, Emma Thompson really does carry the film. Her characters emotional depth is certainly felt and we instantly know how her backstory influences the decisions she makes during the course of the film.

The barrenness of the winter landscape certainly adds to the sense of emotional desolation but also later the strange sense of peaceful solitude.

Still, I think the initially different tone of this thriller develops into a fairly absurd plot that lets the film down a bit.

Greetings again from the darkness. So how do we fill the gap with solo action-thrillers now that Liam Neeson is making comedies? It's a bit surprising, but some creativity and thinking outside the box occurred with the casting of two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson in this latest from director Brian Kirk (21 BRIDGES, 2019). The story comes from two first time screenwriters, both known for other talents. Nicholas Jacobson-Larson is best known as a composer, while Dalton Leeb is an actor.

Ms. Thompson stars as Barb, a woman carrying the heavy burden of grief. Her husband has recently passed and his final wish was for his remains dumped in Lake Hilda, the site of their first date. The location is the frozen tundra of Minnesota (apologies to Green Bay fans), and we can't help but wonder how many times Ms. Thompson watched FARGO (1996), studying the accent of Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson. Initially it's a bit jarring hearing that accent from a Brit who excelled in films such as SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (1995) and THE REMAINS OF THE DAY (1993), but of course, the talented actor pulls it off.

Barb's emotional trip goes sideways when a gunshot alerts her to a girl being hauled away by the man she had recently asked directions from. In this day of 'mind your own business', Barb could have just proceeded with her husband's ashes and headed back home. Alas, 'Minnesota nice' doesn't permit such neglect of those in peril. What follows is a game of cat and mouse ... a battle of wits and guns. Barb lacks a particular set of skills other than 'street smarts', while Leah (Laurel Marsden, THE POPE'S EXORCIST, 2023) is being held captive in the cabin basement by the man (Marc Menchaca, "Ozark") and his puffy purple jacket wearing wife (Judy Greer). The reason for this kidnapping is hinted at, but isn't fully explained until later (revealing an outlandish plan).

Brian Kirk delivers an entertaining thriller and cinematographer Christopher Ross takes full advantage of the snow and ice covered setting. Judy Greer is surprisingly effective as the vile and menacing woman (a departure from her usual roles) so desperate to save herself, while Marc Menchaca is a reluctant accomplice, and Emma Thompson is a formidable foe standing in their way. The flashbacks come a bit too frequently and really don't add much to an already dramatic, emotional, and frenzied situation ... which all begins with a closely-held tackle box. Despite that, the film nails the ending ... cold.

Opening in theaters on September 26, 2025.

The first great feature of Dead Of Winter is that it is NOT a remake of the 1987 movie of the same name (hated that movie).

This is a German production, filmed in Finland, set in Minnesota. My experience with German movies is they are gritty, story-driven, low budget, and have zero stupid characters. Dead Of Winter has all of those characteristics.

The cast is tiny. 9 people total, only 4 of which are major players. Most of the rest of the cast is seen through Emma's memories, eventually explaining why she has made this trip to an isolated lake. As memories work, Emma never names her own character, so we don't learn her name until the final minute of the film. Even that is an add-on, as most references to her in the credits call her character the fisherwoman.

As you can tell from the preview or blurb, Emma happens across a kidnapping and tries to help the young woman. Everything cascades from there. Emma mostly has no one to talk to so the story has to convey her plan just from her actions. And in places it looks like she's making mistakes. But ultimately we learn it all comes together and makes sense.

The mix of Minnesota-nice character with ruthless moves to effect rescues and escapes is incredibly endearing and Emma plays it perfectly.

You probably won't see an ad for this movie, given the budget. But it's one worth seeing.

Written by Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb, both of which have been credited on some fine films, as musician and actor respectively. So, Dead of Winter was penned by two individuals without a single writers credit between them. How could it possibly go wrong? Watch this film, and find out.

To give it credit, the soundtrack and acting were beyond reproach. In fact, in all aspects apart from the plot, it is a very good film, especially considering that it was likely made to a budget.

It was however, an entertaining and involving 97 minutes, but only if you give yourself over to accepting the numerous bad decisions, plot holes, unfathomable motivations etc that it throws up at regular intervals. Thinking back, the dialogue was surprisingly believable, making it more frustrating to have it in service of such a sloppy plot.