Dead of Winter is a new film set to release in theaters September 26th. Before, it had its world premiere in the Piazza Grande section of the 78th Locarno Film Festival. Directed by Brian Kirk and written by Nicholas Jacobson-Larson & Dalton Leeb, the film stars Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marden, and Brian F. O’Byrne. A grief-stricken loner caught in a brutal Minnesotan blizzard discovers a young woman imprisoned by a desperate armed couple, forcing this unlikely hero into a dangerous fight for her and the victim’s survival.

The one aspect that drew me into catching this early was Emma Thompson & Judy Greer. Whenever I think of these two actresses, I always think of something lighthearted or funny. Anytime an actor or actress does something new, I’m all for it. If this is truly this week’s mystery movie playing in theaters, I think you’re in for a good time.

The film starts off really quiet & somber for a thriller. While we eventually do get what’s promised as a thriller, the film has a lot of heart & emotion on its sleeve immediately based on the film’s opening shot with Thompson. She says so much without saying anything at all.

While the film was shot in Finland, it still manages to capture the Minnesota landscape quite well. From the cinematography to the sound design, the film understands how to immerse you into the situation right before the promising concept.

This is a concept that works at every level. There is a cat-and-mouse game that is engaging and unpredictable. There were moments where I questioned why someone would do what they did, but it turned out that it was actually intentional. The writing is incredibly well with director Brian Kirk fully understanding how to bring the tension to life.

Of course, none of what works would be possible without the fantastic performances from the three core characters. Emma Thompson is sensational in the lead role as this emotionally & mentally intelligent woman that we care about from start to finish. Judy Greer is terrifying in a role that works for her. I thought her performance in The Long Walk was terrific. With this performance, she’s doing some great stuff. Then, there’s Marc Menchaca. It took me a while to recognize him from Ozark. He does commendable work here, and I’m glad to see him doing more stuff.

When you have a thriller like this with minimal characters, I wish we got more from the antagonist perspective that could help us better understand why they do what they do. Of course, we learn of their motives, but there are some questionable character decisions throughout. I wish the film could have explored that more. I would have at least liked to have seen more characterization out of Judy Greer’s character.

While the conclusion feels emotionally heavy and thematically important, it also still left me wanting more. The outcome is so shocking that I would have liked to have seen more of the fallout of what occurred. The film sort of abruptly ends. Instead, it could have benefited more with showing us the kidnapped person’s perspective on everything she just experienced.

Overall, Dead of Winter is an effective high-octane thriller that also knows how to make us deeply care about the main character. The performances all stand out, the cat-and-mouse aspect is unpredictable, and there’s a lot of emotional weight to the story and main characters. It has a few things working against it, making this a thriller I’m sure viewers will have a good time with.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)