I won't address the story of Cold Weather in detail, because I think the less you know of it, the better. But if you do need story details in advance, I'm sure they're easily found in the movie synopsis or other reviews. I'd just like to cover a few points about why I liked it.
First of all, it's pretty awesome how Cold Weather mixes the everyday, mostly uneventful, almost boring lives of their characters with surprising levels of mystery and tension. It's not often the word "realistic" fits a film as aptly as it does this movie.
Second, I thought it ended much too quickly and abruptly, which is actually a partial compliment. For one, I wasn't ready for it to be over, and it ended in an unexpected and non-formulaic way.
Third, this was simply one of the freshest movie experiences I've had this year, and I expect that it will be even better upon subsequent viewings. The closest thing I can think of to compare it to is Winter's Bone. Not because the stories are similar, but because they center around realistic, un-stylized characters that make small, personal events seem more urgent and engrossing than the world-ending, massively bombastic plots of some much bigger films.
With that said, I definitely think the audience for Cold Weather is more narrow than broad. It's by no means a perfect movie. The plot relies on coincidence after coincidence, and that may be hard for some to swallow. It's also a slow-burner throughout, and that may bore some people. Slow-paced doesn't necessarily mean boring or bad in my opinion, though, so I don't hesitate in giving Cold Weather my approval.
