Cold in July

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Went into this one only having seen a still frame of Michael C. Hall with a gun. I don't know the book it's based on and managed to avoid the trailers. That frame of the film I had seen appears in the first minute, so it's safe to say I had no idea what to expect, which is really nice for a twisty-turny film. The first half certainly had me intrigued. I loved the performances and the characters introduced.

Things start to settle in the second half and it becomes about this one goal at the expense of the mysteries set up in the first half. That's fine I guess, it's a fun ride but did leave me a little unsatisfied. The drama had me engaged enough that the sudden onslaught of action in the finale was a real jolt.

The film is set in the 80's and has lots of nice period detail, not the least of which is Hall's mullet and moustache. But the filmmakers don't stop there, aesthetically it seems like it was made in the 80's as well. Plenty of split diopter lens shots, a whole lot of cheesy synth in the soundtrack and even using the classic John Carpenter style title treatments. I gotta admit the music really took me out of the film.

I did enjoy it, I'm just not sure I understood the bigger picture. It had me at the beginning but felt like it settled into a less interesting film.