Cold in July

IFC Films | Release Date: May 23, 2014

7.3	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 86 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

TVJerryJun 9, 2014

Michael C. Hall sports a trim mullet and 80s moustache as the mild-mannered man who shoots an intruder in his house late at night. The burglar's ex-con father (Sam Shepard) shows up and the intrigue begins. The film starts tightly-wound andMichael C. Hall sports a trim mullet and 80s moustache as the mild-mannered man who shoots an intruder in his house late at night. The burglar's ex-con father (Sam Shepard) shows up and the intrigue begins. The film starts tightly-wound and produces some early tension, but once the convoluted plot starts to develop, it poses more and more mystery without much payoff.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

All this user's reviews

Tss5078Mar 7, 2017

For lack of better terminology, these dark, southern, noirish, dramas have become all the rage in Hollywood. Films like Winter's Bone, Joe, and Mud have been highly critically acclaimed and have come to define the 2010 decade in film, butFor lack of better terminology, these dark, southern, noirish, dramas have become all the rage in Hollywood. Films like Winter's Bone, Joe, and Mud have been highly critically acclaimed and have come to define the 2010 decade in film, but where there is success, there are bound to be copycats, enter Cold In July. Whoever thought that Don Johnson would have any kind of chemistry with Dexter what so ever, must have been out of there mind, as right from the beginning, this film was doomed. A simple man kills a home invader and is stalked by the father of the man he killed. Obsessed with taking a life and wanting to know more about what led to this man become the person he's become, Dane (Michael C. Hall) and his team of misfits, stalk the family right back and uncover an even bigger mystery. While this story had potential, the writers thought it was too dark and decided to have some fun with it. Isn't that nice of them, to combine misplaced comic relief with actors who have no chemistry at all? Cold In July doesn't only lack chemistry but it also lacks focus. At times this film is as dark and serious as it gets, then just as quickly everyone is drunk and paling around, it just doesn't fit and it doesn't work. The whole genre of these films is dark, disparaging, and sometime disturbing. If their is any humor or positivity to be had, it typically occurs at the very end. Michael C. Hall pretty much has the same dry personality as Dexter, except with a family and a conscious, while Don Johnson is the psychopath who wants to hurt people and thinks it's funny. The bottom line is this film is just a mess of actors who don't belong with each other, characters who should never have gotten along, jumping between scenes that are the complete polar opposites of one another. I liked the story and there are a few interesting moments, but it's just isn't enough to carry the film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

foxgroveJul 5, 2014

Disappointing to say the least despite having a trailer which makes it look so exciting. The scenario is very promising, beginning as it does with a house burglary that is not all it seems to be, and one settles down to enjoy what should haveDisappointing to say the least despite having a trailer which makes it look so exciting. The scenario is very promising, beginning as it does with a house burglary that is not all it seems to be, and one settles down to enjoy what should have been an accomplished thriller. Unfortunately, edge of seat thrills are what is sadly lacking. Scenes start promisingly enough, but tension is never sufficiently generated and the film sinks under a morass of unfulfilled expectation. There are twists and turns along the way, but these are not handled skilfully enough to make the film a winner and only a couple of moments come close to creating any kind of frisson. To be fair the last 20 minutes, although very violent, offer some compensation. Overall, though, one is left feeling well and truly underwhelmed by it all.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

LeZeeMar 24, 2016

Kind of so good till Jim Bob Luke's entry.

I'm glad I watched it, but if I had missed it, I would have not worried much. Anyway, you can't say like that until you watch any movie. This movie was excellent, I mean it for the first 40-45Kind of so good till Jim Bob Luke's entry.

I'm glad I watched it, but if I had missed it, I would have not worried much. Anyway, you can't say like that until you watch any movie. This movie was excellent, I mean it for the first 40-45 minutes. So much twist and thrills, I was almost regretting for almost missing it. But once the character Jim Bob Luke was introduced in a grand style, the narration went off the track.

The best parts were over, I got lost interest, and I asked myself why it has to be like this after a wonderful opening? Especially for the character Dane who was a family man and his choice was completely wrong. As mush as Dane, I wanted to know who he shot, but that was not the story's intention to reveal and went in a different direction to disappoint me.

The guys (actors) were awesome, but the writing was a let down, it owes lots of explanation rather telling a decent story. It was an indie crime-thriller based on the novel of the same name, sets in the 1980s. I won't say the film was bad, but I enjoyed only the half movie, the first half.

6/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews