Emma Thompson doesn’t kick enough butt. Actually, let me clarify that: Emma Thompson kicks a lot of butt, but it would be nice if she got to do it literally, and more often. Brian Kirk’s nail-biting thriller “Dead of Winter” gives the Oscar-winning star this rare opportunity, and she kicks that butt so hard it explodes.
But you won’t find any ironic detachment or “John Wick” fight choreography in “Dead of Winter.” Instead, Thompson plays a kind, quiet Minnesotan named Barb who just wanted to go ice fishing. Instead she stumbles onto a kidnapping plot, perpetrated by [checks IMDb] “Purple Lady” and “Camo Jacket,” played by Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca. Their parents must have named them after an improv game, where they were asked to choose a color and some practical attire.
Stuck in the middle of nowhere, on an icy lake, and with no cell phone reception (it’s still a movie), Barb has to decide whether to escape to the nearest town — two hours away by car — or try to save the kidnapped girl, Leah (Laurel Marsden). In some ways Barb is in her element, since she’s from Minnesota and she’s used to the cold. In other ways she’s out of her depth, since she’s not Arnold Schwarzenegger. She’s such a nice lady that she apologizes to a kidnapping victim when she says the word “damn.”
Why did Purple Lady and Camo Jacket kidnap this woman? A lesser movie might have said “who cares” and settled for a meaningless subplot about money or drugs. “Dead of Winter” concocts a brilliant rationale that makes both villains, for different reasons, emotionally invested to the point of their self-destruction. Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb’s masterfully constructed screenplay utilizes every tool at Barb’s limited disposal, tying everything together in a thoughtful thematic bow.
There aren’t a lot of reveals in “Dead of Winter,” so delving too far into the plot would be unfair, but the parallels Kirk’s film draws between Barb and its villains, with Leah as a contrary spoiler, give the story some surprising weight. Thompson brings the full measure of her considerable talent to this character, infusing small moments with big feelings, and big feelings with small details. Greer matches her note for note, on the opposite end of the spectrum, with a performance that would be over the top if it wasn’t — to her way of thinking, at least — totally justified.
If anything, Thompson and Greer are perfect for each other. Both performers have perfected the art of sensitivity, giving sympathetic performances no matter how hard-hearted their characters are. They could both play magical nannies, they could both play hilarious spies and they can both walk across an icy tundra with loaded weapons and desperation. They’re terrific actors who have been given the gift of complete, fascinating characters, and they make the most of it at every turn.
And, fortunately for all of us, the taut, clever script is a gift that keeps on giving. Barb doesn’t have a lot to work with but she knows Minnesota, gosh danged it to heck, and she knows how to turn inconveniences into serious problems. As soon as the film’s villains leave their cabin, Barb sneaks in, puts out their fire and gets all their clothes and blankets soaking wet. It may sound like a juvenile prank but it’s Minnesota in the “Dead of Winter,” so without at least a good fleece they’re going to get slowed down, and maybe even die.
These little details, the decisions that only people who live in and understand their home would make, give “Dead of Winter” a rare quality which benefits almost every story: specificity. Barb could not be found anywhere else in the world. This story could not be told anywhere else either. Sure, lots of places are freezing, but where else could you stumble onto a kidnapping, tell the kidnapper you noticed blood on the ice, and then walk away without incident because he didn’t want to be rude?
“Dead of Winter” is impressively efficient. It’s suspenseful and smart. It’s got great performances across the board. It’s exactly the kind of thriller we keep saying we want, again and again, but which never get enough credit (or enough marketing). And unless we’re very lucky, I’m afraid it might be a cold day in heck before we get more films like it.
