In Cold Light

Play trailer

In Cold Light

R

Jan 2026

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

20%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Ava is trapped. Like a bull in a bucking chute, seconds before exploding onto the rodeo stage. She is hunted. Pursued by those who killed her brother, pursued by her own demons. Ava needs to make a choice. To either save herself and fight another day or to push and become the woman she wishes she could be.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

While it offers some noteworthy visual flair, In Cold Light's story gets buried under implausible twists, worn out genre beats, and a cast that's never given the chance to shine.

Read Critics Reviews

Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Jan 23, 2026

2/4

Maika Monroe plays a drug dealer facing off with her rodeo champ dad Troy Kotsur in a by-the-numbers thriller minus any real thrills. It’s the hints of a better film—fiercer, funnier, more attuned to a woman’s point of view—that nag at you.

Go to Full Review

Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

Jan 23, 2026

A lot of thrillers are exciting but empty. 'In Cold Light' is thrilling but very full in unexpected and complicated ways.

Go to Full Review

Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Jan 22, 2026

2/5

In Cold Light is far better constructed and executed than its generic, straight-to-video title might imply, but it’s too monotonous – in the literal meaning of the word – to reach its aspirations or to really use its cast.

Go to Full Review

Chezelle Bingham

Radio Times

Jul 20, 2026

2/5

The film's incohesive narrative makes In Cold Light difficult to invest in.

Go to Full Review

John Serba

Decider

Jun 5, 2026

In Cold Light features a typically dialed-in and focused Monroe, delivering the type of quietly charismatic performance that cuts through inconsistent writing.

Go to Full Review

Joe Kucharski

Pop Culture Leftovers

May 30, 2026

Maxime Giroux’s In Cold Light has the look of a modern day, hard-edged crime thriller but all-too quickly settles into familiar, crime fiction grooves.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Mr Hollywood

Jan 25, 2026

Gritty looking. Was entertaining. It doesn’t shy away from violence. If you don’t mind that in movies then you’ll enjoy it

See more

Robert W

Jan 24, 2026

One of the worst movies I’ve seen in awhile.

See more

Norman B.

@KunNeki Oct 15, 2026

It was terrible from the beginning, and it didn't do anything well at all

See more

Peter W

@RT12077588 Oct 10, 2026

In Cold Light is a passable thriller that stumbles out of the gate with a clunky, somewhat vague opening. While the second act introduces genuinely engaging stakes, it ultimately builds to a weak, unfulfilling finale. The story itself isn’t particularly fresh, feeling serviceable at best, and in the end, it’s largely forgettable and lacking real impact. As always, Maika Monroe delivers a compelling and grounded performance, though her character never feels as interesting or layered as it could have been. Visually, the film is a highlight, with its largely nighttime setting creating a strong, moody atmosphere and cinematography that captures that darkness quite well.

See more

Bill T

@btreakle Sep 13, 2026

“In Cold Light” So this will be here with quite a surprise for me and I I kind of enjoyed this one. The premise of this movie was pretty straightforward and the young lady who betrayed the main character in this film done a real good job. Lots of action lots of killing lots of twists and turns for this poor young lady. This is not a movie for the squeamish and if you don't like and blood and guts and this is probably not a movie for you but I genuinely like this movie but it's definitely worth the watch to me

See more

Anna H

@Anna-halbert Jul 24, 2026

What a crap movie. So boring.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Maxime Giroux

Director

Maika Monroe

Ava Bly

Troy Kotsur

Will Bly

Helen Hunt

Claire

Allan Hawco

Bob Whyte

Jesse Irving

Tom Bly

In Cold Light: Extended Preview

9:59

Now Playing

In Cold Light: Exclusive Clip - I Can Fix This

1:15

Now Playing

View more videos

Baby Driver

92%

86%

Baby Driver

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Baby Driver

Sicario

91%

85%

Sicario

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sicario

The Furious

97%

95%

The Furious

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Furious

Ambulance

68%

87%

Ambulance

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Ambulance

The Last Deal

100%

74%

The Last Deal

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Ava is trapped. Like a bull in a bucking chute, seconds before exploding onto the rodeo stage. She is hunted. Pursued by those who killed her brother, pursued by her own demons. Ava needs to make a choice. To either save herself and fight another day or to push and become the woman she wishes she could be.

Director: Maxime Giroux
Producer: Yanick Létourneau, Mike MacMillan
Screenwriter: Patrick Whistler
Distributor: Saban Films
Production Co: Périphéria, Lithium Studios
Rating: R (Some Drug Material|Language|Violence/Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 23, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2026
Runtime: 1h 36m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings