Dead of Winter follows Barb as she returns to the place where she first became united to her late husband. Barb, however, soon finds her time of reflection is up and she ends up dealing with a new kind of emotional conflict that will threaten her mortal coil. While on the lake, she sees a woman named Leah trying to escape from a man in a camouflage jacket, guns a-blazing. She soon discovers that this young woman is in the hands of a couple isolated from the rest of society and who have no good will towards her. Determined to do whatever she can to give Leah her freedom back, Barb must fight the cold and her own sorrow to outsmart these two wicked kidnappers.

What separates Dead of Winter from other thrillers is the commitment to show how cold and an isolated location actually matters in an on-the-ground conflict. The cold is constantly used as the way that Barb manages to get an upper hand but also presents conflicts for both her and the couple who are after her. Winter uses sound and strong production design to make you feel that all the characters are facing brutal cold and staying warm is a logical conflict. The snow feels real and the ability to escape this conflict seems bleak. In doing so, the setting becomes more than just a place for this conflict to happen; often it is the conflict.

Centered around one cabin, this cat-and-mouse chase features constant conflict and a hope that Barb’s good intentions will win the day. Admittedly though, the film does take a bit to get started and does not often weave in its emotional moments in the smoothest. Thus, the pacing suffers a good amount from relying on its action to give the audience an adrenaline shot and then cutting to flashbacks to give us the heart of the story like medicine.

Emma Thompson does an admirable job along with Judy Greer in a formidable antagonistic performance as the Purple Lady. Their psychological battle is often the most interesting part of the film. Will Barb find a way to overpower the determination? Will the Purple Lady have to follow through to kill Leah and get away with it? Barb seems burdened with the harder task both physically and emotionally, thus this underdog thriller narrative leaves us unsure just how she may win the day.

The heart of the story is still present as this film admirably strives to do more than be a good addition to the vast amount of thrillers. Barb is grounded by her emotional journey where she comes to terms with how to find a new life without her husband Karl. Over time, she reflects on his death, and even when her life seems to be in the utmost danger, she slowly learns to value the lives that are still within her influence. This gives her the strength and determination to use her body and brain in ways that she never has, giving her a chance to set Leah free from the dangerous couple. The couple also have their own motivation, reflecting a toxic version of what Barb could have and continue to be: a woman bitter by what she does not have and in serious despair because of the limited time she has left.

Dead of Winter is available in theatres on Friday, September 26th, 2025.