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Emma Thompson, action star? Why the heck not?
The two-time Academy Award-winner (who won a Best Actress Oscar for "Howard's End" and a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for 1995's "Sense and Sensibility") has done comedy, drama, horror and Shakespeare, so why not let the legendary multi-hyphenate wield a gun and, among other things, stab a would-be assailant in the foot? Her character in 2025's "Dead of Winter" may not have Liam Neeson's particular set of lethal skills, but she projects a rugged intelligence in the action thriller as a Minnesota widower that makes her a formidable presence.
While critics were generally kind to the Brian Kirk-directed film, it hardly made any noise at the box office, so maybe don't expect a string of "Taken"-like sequels where Thompson stabs more people in the foot. But keep hope alive! The movie is now streaming on Prime Video, and, per FlixPatrol, it's currently the fourth most popular film on the service. Perhaps the movie's U.S. distributor, Vertical, killed its commercial prospects with an anemic marketing push. In any event, it's finding an audience, and with a Rotten Tomatoes Popcorn meter rating of 78%, regular moviegoers seem to be enjoying it just as much as critics. And it's not just an Emma Thompson showcase. There's another terrific actor playing against type in "Dead of Winter."
Read more: All 20 Coen Brothers Movies, Ranked
Emma Thompson and Judy Greer engage in an icy battle of wills in Dead of Winter
"Dead of Winter" kicks off with Emma Thompson's very Minnesotan Barb heading to a lakeside cabin to scatter her husband's ashes as he requested. She gets lost along the way and stops at another remote cabin to ask for directions. The camo-clad man she finds there (Mark Menchaca) isn't the friendliest fellow in the world, which makes the blood in the snow near his abode somewhat concerning. Then, before leaving, Barb sees a bound young woman attempting to escape the cabin, only to be brought back at gunpoint.
Barb decides to investigate and finds out the man has a female accomplice. We don't know her name, but we're well aware she's played by Judy Greer. A skilled comedic actor (who broke our hearts in "The Long Walk"), Greer is utterly diabolical here as a fentanyl-addicted hospital worker who has grisly plans for the kidnapped girl. (I will not spoil this twist.) She's far more frightening than the camo dude and a perfectly ominous foil for Thompson.
The unforgivingly frigid atmosphere and the joy of watching two brilliant performers playing a deadly cat-and-mouse game make "Dead of Winter" a satisfying watch on a hot summer night. Give it a look, and you just might help propel Thompson into her Liam Neeson phase. After "Dead of Winter," I'd love to see Emma Thompson's version of "The Grey."
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
