Cold in July (2014)

Cold In July marks the fourth and most mature feature for director Jim Mickle, bringing electric performances and palpable suspense to an otherwise unoriginal premise. What sets this film apart from other films like it, such as Cape Fear, is the performances. Michael C. Hall gives one hell of a performance, letting the audience see a vastly different side of him. He generates a leading man quality in this film that, in my opinion, he has never done before. From the straight-out-of-the-80s mullet, to the tight Wrangler jeans, Hall fits the mold of an ordinary man from small town Texas in the 80s and does so very subtly without us ever thinking to ourselves that this man was Dexter. As much as I liked Hall's performance in this film, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson steal the film. Without giving too much away, Shepard and Johnson are two of the seediest dirty characters not in a Rob Zombie film. Each scene between Shepard and Hall generates a palpable tension that would be difficult to do with any other actors in their parts, respectfully. The story is interesting from jump street, its a familiar type of story but it has so many great twists and turns that you can't help but fall in love with it. The score here is also immersing. It rings back to Blood Simple, or John Carpenter's Halloween. It really throws us right into 1989 and does so with such grace that it really needs some attention. Jim Mickle proves here that he is a director to be reckoned with. As a fan of his previous films, Stakeland and We Are What We Are, I was excited to see this film. However, walking out of Cold In July made me ecstatic to see what he does next. Overall, Cold In July is brutal, unrelenting backwoods mayhem with great performances and plot twists galore. It definitely lives up to the hype and I highly recommend it.

Fmovies: This is a very well made film, It's taunt, suspenseful and has you sitting on the edge of your seat. It's a story thats believable with twists and unexpected turns.

Michael Hall was wonderful as the gay undertaker in 6 Feet Under, then as the emotionless killer in Dexter. He is excellent as the caring, protective father who accidentally kills an intruder and is unwillingly to be given the mantle of hero.

When Sam Shepard comes after him, it's easy to think that logical consequences should play out but compassion steps in and that's where the story takes off in a different direction.

You will be glued to your seat and with the music perfectly and simply building the tension, in walks the fabulous character, and much needed comic relief of Don Johnson. I never thought much of Don Johnson that this role is outstanding. I think that often there is a role in a movie that is so unusual and outstanding that you should see the whole movie for it, and his role is such a role.

He really should get a supporting actor nominee for his perfect portrayal of this offbeat character.

The movie is a puzzle and the pieces all fit together. There are three great performances of the male leads, and the performance of the wife is very good as well. There were some clever touches to create a film noir feel to this film when certain scenes would subtly go to black and white.

This is a well crafted, well acted, not to be missed film, though if you're seeking light and breezy, this isn't it.

(89%) One of those great little movies that will sadly get seen by far too few, and although it is not a 100% slab of solid gold, it's still a really damn good piece of storytelling. First of all the 1980's style soundtrack is sublime, a true contender for the best of the year without a shadow of doubt. The performances couldn't be much better, Michael C. Hall is perfect as the mullet headed everyman caught in a very tricky spot, and Don Johnson breathes a breath of fresh air into the second half. The direction is focused and unfussy. While the story is fantastically well paced as it twists and turns almost constantly, I just cannot recommend this enough. A must-watch American future classic that's worth the time, effort, and money watching properly at the cinema, so do so, you won't regret it.

Cold in July fmovies. Cold in July is a Texas neo-noir set in 1989. A man called Richard Dane kills an intruder in his home one night. The victim's dad subsequently turns up and starts hassling Dane and his family. The police get involved but things begin to take a turn for the unpredictable when it soon becomes apparent that the dead man isn't who he appears to be. This leads to a spiral of very dark secrets.

What makes this one work so well is a combination of a great trio of performances and the 80's retro styling. Of the former we have Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson as a motley crew of sleuths bent on discovering the truth and ultimately meting out violent retribution. The three actors work well together in portraying their uneasy alliance. While the aforementioned 80's setting is great too. The soundtrack is a combination of some choice 80's hard rock and some neo-electro 80's styling synth music to score the film and build atmosphere. It works highly in the movie's favour and gives it a cool sheen while seeming entirely appropriate given the era depicted.

The story-line is a mixture of fairly familiar things you probably have encountered in these types of movies before and I'm not going to reveal too much of what lies ahead as it's best to go into these types of films with as little foreknowledge as possible. But it is the way that these standard elements have been presented on screen that makes them work so well, as well as the aforementioned acting and 80's setting. There are a few loose ends in the story and some aspects that you will require to suspend your disbelief at a little. But this is hardly a new thing when it comes to pulpy thrillers. The important thing is that Cold in July is a superior example of this kind of thing. It's very involving throughout and makes its generic material seem fresh, which is easier said than done.

How many men can one bullet kill? That is the catch line on the film poster, and it is one of the best definitions of a film I have ever read. Based on a novel by Joe R. Lansdale, this is the story of Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall, eternal "Dexter"), a protective family man that kills a burglar inside his home. Still in shock after the event, he is not fully aware of what that single shot has triggered.

I must confess I wanted to see the movie because I am a big fan of "Dexter" (James Manos Jr. 2006-13), and after this show and his role in "Six Feet Under" (Alan Ball, 2001-2005), I already thought Michael C. Hall was a great actor. Having watched this film, I admire him even more. It is not easy to shake a character that has been with you for so long, but Hall just nails this average man, father and husband. How such a man reacts when killing for the first time and everything afterwards, it is outstanding. The other actors in this trio are Sam Shepard as the father of the deceased burglar, and Don Johnson as a government agent, two tough guys that shows up as a result of Dane's killing. Both Johnson and Shepard really fit the role and they support Hall perfectly.

This film is tough, maybe not in a graphic way, but throughout the film you start to feel the burden of the events, the consequences of it. It is also a story of good and evil, of doing the right thing, and all the unexpected things behind that decision. The film is divided into two parts, and in the second segment, there is a shift in the tone, though there is something true about the whole film, it is a gritty, harsh story. How an ordinary man copes with life after a rough, life-changing event.

This dirty little piece of Texas pulp rides the fine line of art of trash with brilliant composure as its dark script teases you with how far it'll go. The seed is planted when an everyman kills an intruder in his home, and the story spins wildly out of control from there. The story moves forward at a brisk pace and never looks back. Sure that means there are as many holes as there are unanswered questions, but such is the case with pulp. You gotta live in the now, man. In the end, I'm still not sure how to process what I've seen, and I've gained no further insight or knowledge about myself, the world, or humanity. And I wouldn't have it any other way