By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
STONE-COLD REVENGE FUELS "IN A COLD VEIN"
Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but
"In a Cold Vein" sure serves it up with plenty of grit, bruises and bloody determination.
Writer-director
Eric Owen ("Thirst") delivers a lean, 90 minutes crime thriller that wastes little time throwing audiences into its brutal world.
While the film occasionally shows the limitations of its modest budget, it more than makes up for it with relentless pacing, sharp tension, and an eerie, commanding lead performance from Evan Gamble. ("Red Right Hand").
Gamble is one tough customer as Dean O'Reilly, a ruthless criminal determined to find out who ordered a hit on him and why. Kidnapped, tied up, and tossed into the back of a van by captors Steve (P. Michael Hayes II, "Tiny Texas") and Phil (Brian Villalobos, "Man Finds Tape"), Dean endures repeated blows from a heavy wrench that would leave most people unable to stand, much less fight back. Yet somehow, he refuses to stay down, fueled by equal parts rage and survival instinct.
As the mystery unfolds, another figure named Marco (Marc Pouhe, "I'll Be There") emerges as a key player in the dangerous web surrounding Dean. Dean's desperate escape is also fueled by his family. His wife, Darla (Mor Cohen, "And Her Body Was Never Found"), and their 9-year-old son Jack (Griffon Ethridge, "To Will the Sunrise") are apparently missing which raises the stakes.
Even if Dean manages to rescue them, it's painfully clear that the life he once knew has been shattered beyond repair.
Things only become stranger when Dean hitches a ride with an unpredictable truck driver named Chuck (Steve Brudniak, "It's Alive"). Chuck initially seems like a stroke of luck, but his increasingly erratic behavior quickly suggests otherwise. When Chuck refuses to let Dean out and embarks on his own dangerous detour, Dean is forced to take matters into his own hands in a sequence that feels like something straight out of a Jason Statham movie.
The surprises continue when Dean finally makes his way home, only to discover his wife in a compromising situation with his brother Bruce (Cliff Dean, "Wyatt Earp 2"). Thankfully, "In a Cold Vein" doesn't turn into a melodramatic love story. Instead, Owen uses the revelation as another piece of an increasingly twisted puzzle, leading to several satisfying turns that keep viewers guessing.
"In a Cold Vein" is a solid entry into the revenge-drama genre. The film isn't flashy, but its stripped-down style gives the danger an unsettling authenticity that works in its favor.
Much of the movie's success rests on Evan Gamble's shoulders, and he delivers. His character Dean is both intimidating and unpredictable, with Gamble bringing an eerie, chilling presence to every scene. Even when Dean says very little, Gamble conveys a man whose pain and anger are always threatening to boil over. It's a performance that anchors the film and elevates the familiar material.
Fans of hardcore crime dramas should find plenty to appreciate in this stone-cold thriller.
"In a Cold Vein" is currently available
On Demand and Digital.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"IN A COLD VEIN"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
