Cold in July (2014)

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

This movie was epic! I highly recommend it for a movie night on Netflix. I didn't know what to expect but it's intense and thrilling from the first 60 seconds to the end! The twists are executed very well and the acting was superb. Considering all the other movies the director has done, this one was by far his best yet.

(Spoilers follow) Not sure what positive reviews may be about. What I saw was: 1) Huge plot holes: the issue of the burglar's identity, one of the chief reasons for the main character's questing, dropped without explanation, police involvement and cover-up given but the most cursory of treatments, the Dixie Mafia connection just mentioned, etc., I could go on all day. 2) Lack of realism: a quiet small-town framer, suddenly and without adequate explanation, goes along with people he had no acquaintance of just days before (in movie time) into a firefight with snuff movie syndicate characters. None of the other characters involved (either on the "good guys'" side or the "bad guys'" side) have any real prior involvement with him. No proper build-up into this change of character is provided, no insight into the inner process that induces such a transformation is even alluded to. 3) Acting: unconvincing and dull, at best.In sum: it's meant to be a gritty drama-thriller, but it's boring, generally lacks pace (without any good reason, as rarely any time is spent in introspective insights into the inner path each person takes to the final shoot-out) and fails to give viewers any compelling reason why they should follow this guy's detour from average Joe (with hardly any redeeming features) to gun-totting vigilante and back to average Joe.

Sure there are several plot loose ends hanging uncomfortably. Sure "Cold in July" seems like two separate films pieced together. The fact is that both halves have good entertainment value. The first half is tense, while the second half is quite bloody. Ultimately this is a tale of revenge, and like "Death Wish", the transformation from the meek to the mighty is not always a comfortable one. Acting is strong, and the story is far from predictable. I could immediately watch this again, it's that entertaining. "Cold in July" is what good independent film looks like, and I highly recommend seeking this one out. In my DVD collection, "Cold in July" is a definite keeper. ......... - MERK

Director Jim Mickle and writer Nick Damici have seemingly taken the genre throwback corner of cinema by storm, churning out a trio of pulpy thrillers steeped in the atmospheric charm of 70's and 80's films. They proudly wear the influence of everyone from Dario Argento, to John Carpenter, to Walter Hill. Cold In July, my favourite of their three outings thus far, is a pulse pounding example of how to orchestrate a thriller that holds you in suspense without overdoing it. It's got just the right portions of violence, intrigue, menace and pathos needed to turn it's slightly complex story into a visceral winner. Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall plays Richard Dane, a meek family man who accidentally shoots a home invader dead one night. He's rattled, but the slick Sheriff (Nick Damici boldly displays that his knack for writing isn't the only talent under his belt, giving a low key but compelling turn) assures him he did the right thing. Then, the burglar's recently paroled father Ben Sullivan (Sam Shepherd) blows into town with malicious intent towards Dane. He's eventually captured by the Sheriff and suddenly the plot whips out from under you like a rug and heads in a direction you never saw coming, assuring you this won't be another weak entry in the potboiler books. The Sheriff, it turns out, is just south of honest and has played both Dane and Sullivan for nefarious ends. The two are forced to team up along with silver tongued private investigator Jim Bob Luke (Don Johnson) to get to the bottom of things, clear Ben's name and escape from the southern fried pickle they find themselves in. I won't say more plot - wise except to gush over what a thought out, deliberate story Damici weaves, a true pulp neo noir that ducks clichés and hits hard. Shepherd is an expert of the craft, and his Ben is quiet and stubborn, with flashes of youthful sharpness that have calcified into a hardened nobility in his old age. Best work from the guy in years. Hall displays a subtle shift from trauma to toughness, never losing the vulnerability he entered the story with, but infusing it with the stoicism he adopts simply because he has no choice but to see the ordeal to the end. Johnson is the one comic side of things, showing up in a cherry red Cadillac convertible called the Red Bitch, and splashing his natural charisma all over the place like hot sauce on chicken wings. I don't know why Don doesn't work all that much these days but he's an asset to anything he shows up in. He plays Luke with bushels of swagger, hysterical exasperation at Ben's belligerance and just the right touches of humanity which make his character the highlight for me. The three of them together share a thoroughly amusing dynamic, forced together by chance from different walks of life, each bringing their own qualities to the table in character arcs that satisfy greatly. The film also has a terrific synth style score that jangles and thumps along to the story beats in perfect synergy. I'd like to think that each artist that Mickle and Damici have paid homage to would be proud, as Cold In July hums along with that perfectly crafted, intangible atmosphere that all the great thrillers possess.