'In Cold Light' Review
- Joe Kucharski
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Release Date: 01/23/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Action. Crime. Drama. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Saban Films.
The Verdict: A Maybe
Maxime Giroux’s In Cold Light has the look of a modern day, hard-edged crime thriller but all-too quickly settles into familiar, crime fiction grooves.
Written by Patrick Whistler, the film jumps in and establishes its indie creds: a violent, bleak story, featuring a silent, hard protagonist with a past that refuses to stay buried. Maika Monroe stars as Ava, newly released from prison and immediately drawn back to the drug trade that once betrayed her. This setup has powered countless crime films before. And while In Cold Light offers nothing drastically new to the genre, perhaps reinvention is not Giroux’s ultimate goal.
The plot follows a well-worn trajectory. Ava seeks help from her twin brother Tom (Jesse Irving) to reenter the business, a decision that predictably spirals into tragic bloodshed. Yet, Giroux leans into the genre’s seriousness, aided by Philippe Brault’s unsettling score, which hums with dread even when the film falls upon obvious ground. The pacing is tight, the violence purposeful, and the tone grim. As an indie actioner, In Cold Light is competent and often engaging, although it rarely surprises. This is a story told with confidence, not originality.
The film finds strength in its performances. Monroe is compelling in a physical, grounded way; Ava absorbs punishment and runs every time she hits adversity, no matter her condition. In this regard, Ava feels slightly like a 21st century Lola from Run Lola Run. She carries herself with a weary resolve. Her relationship with Tom and with her father, played by the always-excellent Troy Kotsur, adds a needed emotional texture. Kotsur, in particular, brings a gravity that deepens the family dynamics and gives the film moments of genuine weight.
Not all performances mesh as cleanly. Helen Hunt’s Claire, a drug-world power broker, arrives with extra-large volume and over-the-top theatricality that clash with Monroe’s restrained intensity and Kotsur’s emotional understatement.
Giroux delivers a polished, moody film. In Cold Light ultimately looks good and delivers solid genre entertainment. Yet, like Ava, can never escape the genre’s familiar territory. And who would have thought that Ponoka, Alberta could be so violent?
Comments