Get ready to see Emma Thompson like you've never seen her — or heard her — before in new Minnesota-set thriller The Dead of Winter.
The film from director Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) stars Thompson as Barb, a widow travelling through snowbound northern Minnesota to scatter the ashes of her recently deceased husband.
As she's out grieving in the snow, the protagonist hears a gunshot and sees a young girl (Laurel Marsden) getting dragged off by a man (Marc Menchaca).
Channelling her inner Marge Gunderson from Fargo, Barb knows she can't leave it alone. She decides to follow them, knowing that the girl's life lies in her hands.
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Approaching Menchaca's character, who's chopping woods in front of a splash of crimson red blood, Barb pretends she's looking for the lake — brace for Thompson's brilliant Minnesotan accent work.
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Barb poking around alerts the man and his equally terrifying wife, played against type by Judy Greer, as their teenage hostage is tied up in their basement.
The protagonist finds a way to communicate with the child, writing on the foggy basement window that she won't leave.
Judging by the high-tension montage that follows, Barb isn't simply staying but she's ready to put up a fight, using anything from her gun to a hammer to defend herself and the girl.
While the ultra-violence and the setting brings Fargo to mind, it seems The Dead of Winter doesn't have the Coen brothers' signature dark humour. A more sombre affair, The Dead of Winter will be released in cinemas from 26 September.
The film opened to positive reviews at Locarno Film Festival last week, with The Guardian noting that the film delivers "some edge-of-the-seat tension".
Rounding out the cast are Gaia Wise, Thompson's daughter who she shares with husband Greg Wise, and Cúán Hosty-Blaney, playing younger versions of Barb and her husband Karl.
The Dead of Winter will be released in cinemas on 26 September.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
