In Cold Light

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In Cold Light

R

Jan 2026

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Crime

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Ava is trapped. Like a bull in a bucking chute, seconds before exploding onto the rodeo stage. She is hunted. Pursued by those who killed her brother, pursued by her own demons. Ava needs to make a choice. To either save herself and fight another day or to push and become the woman she wishes she could be.

Critics Consensus

While it offers some noteworthy visual flair, In Cold Light's story gets buried under implausible twists, worn out genre beats, and a cast that's never given the chance to shine.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Jan 23

2/4

Maika Monroe plays a drug dealer facing off with her rodeo champ dad Troy Kotsur in a by-the-numbers thriller minus any real thrills. It’s the hints of a better film—fiercer, funnier, more attuned to a woman’s point of view—that nag at you.

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Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

Jan 23

A lot of thrillers are exciting but empty. 'In Cold Light' is thrilling but very full in unexpected and complicated ways.

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Jan 22

2/5

In Cold Light is far better constructed and executed than its generic, straight-to-video title might imply, but it’s too monotonous – in the literal meaning of the word – to reach its aspirations or to really use its cast.

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Claire Di Maio

But Why Tho?

Apr 1

6/10

Maxime Giraud’s direction and Sara Mishara are a winning combination, elevating In Cold Light to something worth keeping an eye on.

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Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

Mar 6

Despite some stylish visual flourishes, the material offers more talk than action without anything new to say.

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Monica Reid

Far Out Magazine

Mar 6

3/5

The dynamic, intense story holds the attention in spite of the lengthy, sometimes repetitive chase scenes and subdued dialogue.

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Mr Hollywood

Jan 25

Gritty looking. Was entertaining. It doesn’t shy away from violence. If you don’t mind that in movies then you’ll enjoy it

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Robert W

Jan 24

One of the worst movies I’ve seen in awhile.

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prawnda S

@RT72497680 Mar 31

it's not terrible, and i like maika monroe. she does a decent job, but the film is kind of dour and the soundtrack is monotonous and grating. there's also a far too lengthy scene with a baby crying that was utterly unnecessary, and when any kind of action happens the film just gets chaotic and hard to follow. the sign language thing does not help very much with the vague nature of the film either. on another site i'd give this a higher rating, but it gets 2 stars here because 2 and a half counts as me recommending it.

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Claudio C

@Claudio666 Mar 13

In Cold Light (2025) Terrible and Uninteresting Canadian Thriller (12,327 - 12 Mar 2026 – Claudio Carvalho) "In Cold Light" (2025) is a terrible and uninteresting Canadian thriller. The plot does not work in this movie since the story and the screenplay about the drug dealer Ava that is framed and imprisoned for two years are awful and pointless. The characters are badly developed, especially the mobster Claire and her minions. Who is she? Why did she want Tom Bly dead? Basically, all the characters are obnoxious and does not create charisma or empathy with the viewer. My vote is three. Title (Brazil): "Na Frieza da Realidade" ("In the Cold of the Reality") My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/

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Richard B

@Ricardo197025 Mar 8

Not worth the watch. Dull,boring and fails to capture my attention.No translation for the sign language. Most exciting part of the movie is the dramatic sounds.

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Slick R

@SlickReviewer Mar 2

It was just OK. The ending was disappointing. That was really the best they could think up? Talk about lazy writing.

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Maxime Giroux

Director

Maika Monroe

Ava Bly

Troy Kotsur

Will Bly

Helen Hunt

Claire

Allan Hawco

Bob Whyte

Jesse Irving

Tom Bly

In Cold Light: Extended Preview

9:59

In Cold Light: Exclusive Clip - I Can Fix This

1:15

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Synopsis

Ava is trapped. Like a bull in a bucking chute, seconds before exploding onto the rodeo stage. She is hunted. Pursued by those who killed her brother, pursued by her own demons. Ava needs to make a choice. To either save herself and fight another day or to push and become the woman she wishes she could be.

Director: Maxime Giroux
Producer: Yanick Létourneau, Mike MacMillan
Screenwriter: Patrick Whistler
Distributor: Saban Films
Production Co: Périphéria, Lithium Studios
Rating: R (Violence/Bloody Images|Some Drug Material|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 23, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2026
Runtime: 1h 36m

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