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I love COLD STORAGE and every deliriously pulpy, smartly crafted minute of it. This is the kind of sci-fi thriller that knows exactly what it is, leans into its genre DNA with confidence, and still takes the time to honor craft, character, and clarity. It\u2019s funny, tense, occasionally campy in the best way, and relentlessly entertaining.<\/p>\n
Directed by Jonny Campbell and adapted by David Koepp from his own novel, the film drops us into a self-storage facility built atop an old U.S. military base\u2014always a good idea\u2014where a parasitic fungus sealed away decades earlier decides it\u2019s time to stretch its spores. What follows is a breathless, darkly humorous ride that balances body-bursting horror, clean science exposition, and character-forward storytelling without ever losing momentum.<\/p>\n
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The chemistry between Joe Keery (Teacake) and Georgina Campbell (Naomi) is an absolute pleasure. Koepp smartly foregrounds Naomi\u2019s scientific acumen\u2014she explains the science without drowning us in jargon, and the film consistently makes sure we can hear and understand her reasoning. It matters, and it works.<\/p>\n
Liam Neeson is beyond reproach as Robert, the grizzled retired bioterror operative, delivering just the right mix of authority and weary self-awareness. The tongue-in-cheek dialogue about age and aching body parts between Robert and Lesley Manville\u2019s Romano is pitch-perfect\u2014funny, affectionate, and grounded. Manville provides exactly the level of snark required.<\/p>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nAnd then there\u2019s Vanessa Redgrave. Her introduction as storage unit owner Mrs. Rooney is genuinely poignant\u2014and when she comes out firing to save Naomi and Teacake, it\u2019s pure cinematic joy. A badass moment that thrilled me to my core.<\/p>\n
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Special mention must go to Abigail\u2014played with striking expressiveness by Ellora Torchia\u2014whose character arc is deeply satisfying. If this story were ever to continue, I could easily see Abigail and Naomi stepping into DTRA roles as the next generation. After all, who knows what we\u2019ll bring back from Mars\u2026 or the Moon.<\/p>\n
Visually, the film is a blast. The fungus\u2014its growth, mutation, and takeover\u2014sparked fond memories of the organism evolution sequences in 2001’s \u201cEvolution\u201d, and that\u2019s high praise. The visual effects are playful and effective, complemented by excellent makeup and special makeup effects that sell the body horror without excess.<\/p>\n
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Production designer Elena Albanese does outstanding work within a primarily contained location. Concrete-walled spaces are constantly refreshed through set dressing and design variation, keeping the environment dynamic. Cinematographer Tony Slater Ling elevates this further with smart visual grammar\u2014lighting and camera placement shift subtly but purposefully as we descend underground. Flashlights and phones reveal dust-laden gas masks and cobwebbed military panels, while the sickly gold of wall sconces contrasts beautifully with the vibrant, hostile green of the fungus invading the facility\u2019s clean blue-and-white palette.<\/p>\n
Editor Billy Sneddon delivers pacing perfection. (I loved his work on \u201cStan & Ollie\u201d, and this only confirms his range.) The opening sequence\u2014before the opening titles\u2014sets the table brilliantly, grabbing us immediately, misdirecting our expectations, and then snapping into place with a sharp \u201c27 years later\u201d time lapse that tells us exactly where we\u2019re headed.<\/p>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nFrom there, the film never lets up. It\u2019s high-energy, emotionally engaged, and expertly balanced between tension, sci-fi spectacle, and dark humor. Stealing 70-inch 4K TVs? Painfully accurate\u2014and flat-out funny.<\/p>\n
The visual effects work by MPC is impressive throughout, but the finale is a standout. As our heroes make their escape (yes, we knew Romano would arrive in time to save her old partner and our new young heroes) the implosion sequence echoes the cathartic destruction of Sunnydale in the \u201cBuffy the Vampire Slayer\u201d finale episode \u201cChosen.\u201d I will always love a good implosion, and MPC absolutely delivers.<\/p>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nComposer Mathieu Lamboley provides a terrific orchestral score\u2014refreshingly not canned\u2014and the needle drops are inspired: \u201cI Get Around\u201d kicks things off, One Way or Another punctuates the YEARS\u2013HOURS\u2013MINUTES montage (hilarious and uncomfortably true), while \u201cDon’t Fear the Reaper\u201d soars over the end credits. I don\u2019t even want to think about the licensing costs for these classics, but whatever they were, they were worth it.<\/p>\n
Known primarily for episodic work, Jonny Campbell\u2014this being only his third feature\u2014hits this one out of the park. COLD STORAGE is smart, propulsive, unapologetically entertaining genre filmmaking that understands both its audience and its craft.<\/p>\n