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Dead of Winter, the new survival thriller starring Emma Thompson, is dominating the HBO Max streaming charts. The film is perfect for fans of Taylor Sheridan's Wind River.
Per FlixPatrol, Dead of Winter skyrocketed to #4 on HBO Max's Top 10 Movies in the United States as of July 17. Earlier in the week, the film was also enjoying success on the platform in Australia, where it was #2 from July 11-13. Directed by Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) and written by Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb, Dead of Winter sees Thompson starring alongside Judy Greer (Ant-Man, Jawbreaker), Marc Menchaca (Homeland, Black Mirror) and Laurel Marsden (Ms. Marvel).
Dead of Winter Earned Critical Acclaim During Its 2025 Theatrical Release
When a blizzard strikes, Thompson's grief-stricken character of Barb finds herself lost among the backroads near a lake in Minnesota. When she stops and asks for help at a remote cabin in the woods, she discovers a young woman named Leah (Marsden) who has been kidnapped by a desperate couple (Greer, Menchaca).
Barb quickly realizes the couple are armed and dangerous, and the story soon spirals out of control. Isolated, trapped by the weather and without any cell service to call for help, Barb realizes the truth: she is Leah's only hope of making it out of this storm alive.
Dead of Winter had a theatrical release from Vertical on Sept. 26, 2025. During its quiet release, the film amassed generally positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Thompson's performance as Barb.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film is Certified Fresh with a 76% approval rating from 89 critical reviews. "Emma Thompson takes a polar plunge into action territory with Dead of Winter," the site's consensus reads, adding that the film is "a chilly thriller that wears one too many layers of backstory but still satisfies as a tense showcase for its estimable star."
Audiences enjoyed the film even more. With over 250 verified audience reviews, 78% are positive on Rotten Tomatoes. Some reviewers compared it to the classic Fargo, while others praised the tense story as well as Thompson's versatility to step into the role.
"Emma Thompson is fabulous. I'm impressed by her acting technique and range, and I never would have imagined seeing her in a thriller like this," one audience member wrote in a 5-star review. "Judy Greer is fantastic, portraying a character whose motives make us ask ourselves: 'In a desperate situation, what would I do?'"
Dead of Winter is Perfect for Fans of Taylor Sheridan's Wind River
Dead of Winter's reemergence on HBO Max's chart marks the perfect time for Taylor Sheridan fans to check it out, especially if they enjoyed his Western crime-thriller Wind River. The two films share a surprising number of similarities — mainly given their isolated, wintry environments and deep character explorations.
Both films also pit their characters against nature in what makes for a terrifyingly realistic plot point. The fact that Dead of Winter's director, Brian Kirk, also directed several early episodes of Game of Thrones is just icing on the cake, elevating Dead of Winter's visuals to truly be on par with — or even surpass — Sheridan's own work.
Dead of Winter is now streaming on HBO Max.
