In Cold Light

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In Cold Light

R,

Jan 2026,

1h 36m,

Mystery & Thriller/

Action/

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

56%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

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Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

Popcornmeter

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Chezelle Bingham

Radio Times

Jul 20, 2026

2/5

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

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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.

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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.

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Maxime Giroux

Director

Maika Monroe

Ava Bly

Troy Kotsur

Will Bly

Helen Hunt

Claire

Allan Hawco

Bob Whyte

Jesse Irving

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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

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