PopHorror Let's Get Scared
In Cold Light could have been a powerful and emotionally gripping film, but it never quite reaches its full potential. Instead, it feels like the first chapter of a trilogy that was rushed to the screen, tangled in exposition, and overly eager to get to the action without laying the necessary groundwork. The film introduces intriguing ideas and characters, but it never gives them enough depth or backstory to truly connect with the audience. As a result, much of what unfolds feels hollow, leaving viewers disengaged when the story should be hitting hardest.
One of the film’s biggest weaknesses is its lack of character development. We’re dropped into the middle of events without a strong sense of who these people are, what motivates them, or why we should care about their fate.
This missing emotional foundation drains the tension from key moments, especially during chase scenes that should feel urgent and pulse-pounding. Instead, those sequences often feel slow and strangely mundane, robbing the story of the momentum it desperately needs. Rather than escalating the stakes, these moments make the audience feel even more distant from the narrative.
Visually, In Cold Light is undeniably well-shot. The lighting, framing, and overall cinematography are polished and aesthetically pleasing, often elevating the material beyond what the script provides. Unfortunately, strong visuals alone can’t carry a film, and here they serve more as window dressing than as tools for deeper storytelling. The beauty of the images contrasts sharply with the emotional flatness of the narrative, creating a disconnect between what we see and what we feel.
Makia Monroe, who has become one of the go-to actresses in genre cinema since her breakout in It Follows, feels surprisingly underutilized here. She’s proven time and again that she can bring intensity, vulnerability, and complexity to challenging roles, but in In Cold Light she comes across as unusually flat. This isn’t a reflection of her talent so much as a symptom of the material she’s given. The script doesn’t allow her to fully inhabit the character or showcase the range that has made her such a compelling presence in modern genre films.
The standout performance belongs to Troy Kotsur, fresh off his Oscar-winning turn in CODA. He continues his unlikely but well-earned ascension to A-list status, bringing gravitas and authenticity to every scene he’s in. Even when the film falters, Kotsur remains a steady and compelling force, grounding the story with emotional truth and nuance. He’s easily the best actor in the ensemble and one of the few elements that consistently works.
Ultimately, In Cold Light feels like a film with a powerful story buried somewhere beneath its surface. There’s a sense that important scenes, character moments, and connective tissue were left on the cutting room floor, resulting in a narrative that feels incomplete and undercooked.
What remains is a movie that gestures toward something meaningful but never fully commits to it. Instead of delivering a satisfying standalone experience, it feels like a rough draft—an unfinished puzzle that leaves more questions than answers.
