Movie titles such as “Happy Christmas” or “Cold in July” seen on marquis in the middle of the summer season might cause a raised eyebrow from a movie-goer or two, and in the past, have even caused a few flops just from unfortunate promotion. But despite the odd release date, a possibly overlooked gem can be discovered later on from word of mouth. This week, Jim Mickle’s film adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s novel, “Cold in July” proves to be a gruesome, chilling tale during this Independence Day weekend that sticks out like a sore thumb.
On a calm, seemingly ordinary night in a Texan town, Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) awakens to find an intruder in his family’s house. Before he can see if the stranger is armed, Richard shoots him dead. From then on, Richard, his wife, Ann (Vinessa Shaw), and baby Jordan (Brogan Hall) become involved with the police to figure out who Richard shot while Richard himself is dealing with the trauma of killing someone in his home. Soon enough, the supposed victim’s mad father, Ben Russell, (Sam Shepard) shows up in the Danes’ neighborhood with a thing or two to say to the murderer of his son.
Don Johnson co-stars as a Houston detective with a style and technique all his own halfway through the film. Hall, who has grown to be one of the most versatile character actors on TV and in film, delivers a fine performance as the family man torn between his own mistake and protecting his family. Johnson, though only in the film for the second half, teeters on the line between stealing the show and chewing the scenery, with his entertaining spin on a local Southern private eye. Meanwhile, Wyatt Russell, in a surprise role near the end of the movie, continues his screen breakthrough in 2014 along with “22 Jump Street” from earlier this year.
Mickle had previously found modest success with “Stake Land” and “We Are What We Are,” but now writes his best effort yet as a filmmaker. Putting aside his horror roots for a crime thriller, Mickle’s feature is backed by a synth-driven score that reminds us of an old Michael Mann or James Cameron movie from the 1980s and creates the perfect feel for a setting that is already retro and backwards visually.
But where “Cold in July” succeeds in acting and directing, it gets lost in storytelling. At the end of the movie, the audience is still left with a few questions about the characters’ motives and plot holes. Mickle had a lot of potential and elements to make a great thriller but is not quite there yet and hopefully will be next time. Nonetheless, “Cold in July” is still an interesting take for crime tale fans, despite its flaws.
Rated R.
