In Cold Light

Directed by Maxime Giroux, In Cold Light follows recent parolee Ava Bly (Maika Monroe) as she finds herself caught up in a deadly scheme involving illicit drugs and crooked cops. Filmmaker Giroux, armed with a script by Patrick Whistler, does a terrific job of initially luring the viewer into the progressively underwhelming proceedings, as In Cold Light kicks off with an impressively (and palpably) tense opening stretch detailing the circumstances that led to Ava’s imprisonment – with the promising atmosphere heightened by Giroux’s seemingly propulsive approach to the material. It’s disappointing to note, then, that In Cold Light segues into an overly deliberate midsection that grows less and less interesting (and more and more interminable) as it progresses, with the arms-length atmosphere compounded by Sara Mishara’s muddy, eye-straining visuals and a curiously (and frustratingly) one-note turn from star Monroe. And while the picture admittedly improves within its comparatively engaging third act, with Helen Hunt’s stirring work as a seemingly affable crime boss elevating the proceedings, In Cold Light has long-since cemented its place as a lackluster misfire that squanders the good will afforded by its appealing premise.

*1/2 out of ****