Cold in July (2014)

When a protective father meets a murderous ex-con, both need to deviate from the path they are on as they soon find themselves entangled in a downwards spiral of lies and violence while having to confront their own inner psyche.

Director:

Jim Mickle

Writers:

Nick Damici, Jim Mickle

Stars:

Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Don Johnson

8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vinessa Shaw	...	Ann
Michael C. Hall	...	Dane
Ken Holmes	...	Burglar
Nick Damici	...	Price
Brogan Hall	...	Jordan
Rachel Zeiger-Haag	...	Valerie
Lanny Flaherty	...	Jack Crow
Kristin Griffith	...	Kay
Happy Anderson	...	Ted
Sam Shepard	...	Russel
Kris Eivers	...	Detective
Joseph Harrell	...	Officer Kevin
Joe Lanza	...	Officer #1
Soraya Butler	...	Female Officer
Wyatt Russell	...	Freddy

Storyline

When a protective father meets a murderous ex-con, both need to deviate from the path they are on as they soon find themselves entangled in a downwards spiral of lies and violence while having to confront their own inner psyche.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | blood | blood splatter | gun | murder | 

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Taglines:

How many men can one bullet kill?

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 December 2014 (France)

Also Known As:

Chłód w lipcu

Filming Locations:

Kingston, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$65,000, 6 June 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$414,623, 4 July 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

BSM Studio, Backup Media, Bullet Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie playing in the drive-in theater is Night of the Living Dead.

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Goofs

When Dane arrives at his store, a school-age boy on a bicycle is throwing newspapers. As Dane enters the store his wife calls him from school and tells him that students have been asking about the incident. The newspaper boy should have been in school.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ann: [urgently whispering in the dark] Richard. Richard.
Richard Dane: [stirring awake] Yeah?
Ann: I think I heard something.
Richard Dane: [runs to a box in the closet and shakily loads his gun] Stay here...

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Connections

References The Howdy Doody Show (1947)

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Soundtracks

Dangerous Man
Written by Omar Dykes (as Kent Dykes)
Performed by Omar & The Howlers
Courtesy of Big Guitar Music (BMI)

User Reviews

Breezy sleek noir thriller

Cold in July is deceptively unassuming, it's quiet in building the suspense then it savors the violence in healthy dose. The movie aptly delivers a story with twists and turns, surprisingly changing tones as new mysteries reveal themselves. The actors are great, they produce wide range of characterization and ensure their respective personalities are convincing. Its contrastingly dark and bright visual innovate the covert flair without making it looks like a retro detective noir flick.

Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) wakes up at one night and finds his home is a target of a burglar. He then proceeds to shoot him, much to everyone's surprise, including his own. It sets up a chain of events that attract him to a much larger secret than simple breaking and entering. Hall is exceptional as a regular civilian with relatively normal mind, unlike his role in Dexter. He showcases variety of emotions, originally anxiety and rage, but as he endures the trial his characters develops stronger.

Russel (Sam Shepard), the father of the alleged burglar is sympathetically crude and worn down by life. Jim Bob (Don Johnson) rounds up the rag tag gang of investigators. These three are bizarre mix of cast, but they are drawn by a common goal. Each has their own quirky nature and the actors more than elevate the intense plot.

Visually, Cold in July is crisp and immersive. Cinematography works down to the minute details, from angle of the camera in the dark corner to the moving viewpoint of a car, these produce an immersive effect as one watches the mystery unfolds. Soundtracks are oddly in tune, some of them are harrowingly effective. The film doesn't boast high amount of gore, but when it does the result is bloody authentic.

If there's a minor setback, it's that the pace stumbles a bit on the midpoint. The transition between first and second half might be jarring. However, the clever twists and great performance more than make up for it. Cold in July is a light venture to shady uncompromising crime resort with turns that will keep audiences in the edge of their seats.