Dead of Winter

I'd give this film a 7.5. It was s solid thriller. I saw it at Screen Unseen at AMC. It was already on my list, so that was lucky.

No frills, no gimmicks, just good old fashion filmmaking. Story was basic, but the writing was good. The acting was believable for the most part. The pacing was good.

There were several predictable moments, but it wasn't all predictable. I loved the cinematography (10/10). The landscape offered some beautiful shots and they didn't waste it.

Good direction. Nice little flick. My girlfriend and I both enjoyed it.

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.

I just watched. My rating is 5.0 - average at best.

What I like: the movie, most of all, has good cinematography. The barren, snow covered winter setting looks so peaceful, like someplace you'd read about in a Robert Frost poem. I like the lead actress. She is likable and charming, with her Sarah Palin-esque lines. The movie's set-up is excellent: the first 30-40 minutes really had me hooked, and I thought I was in for a great suspense/thriller

Unfortunately, I think the movie stumbles hard in the middle and end. The movie's pacing really begins to drag; certain scenes are drawn out to the point where they felt like fluff. Basically, I kept getting the feeling of, "Can this movie just move along now?" ... in addition, characters begin to make dumb decisions, like not killing someone when they have a chance. There's some bad CGI in the finale. The conclusion is unsatisfying. Given their intentions, the villains could and should have been presented with more shades of gray instead of the simple "they're the bad guys."

It's an average quality movie at best

5.0/10.

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.

The movie was a bit slow but good lord every shot is beautiful. They use that blue-ish lighting that when combined with the expansive forrest transports to you the frozen wilderness. Emma Thompson is always awesome and Judy does a surprisingly good job in a villain role. Totally worth checking out in theaters while it's there.