Cold in July

"How many men can one bullet kill?"

2014 1h 49m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 851

DramaThriller

Synopsis

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While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father rolls into town, hell-bent on revenge.

“How many men can one bullet kill?”

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Cast

Michael C. Hall
Richard Dane
Don Johnson
Jim Bob
Sam Shepard
Russell
Vinessa Shaw
Ann Dane
Nick Damici
Ray Price
Wyatt Russell
Freddy
Lanny Flaherty
Jack Crow
Brianda Agramonte
Young Latina Girl on Tape

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jim Mickle
Writers: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle
Languages: English
Countries: France, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jim Mickle, shot by Ryan Samul. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jeff Grace. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Paul Horstmann shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael C. Hall and Don Johnson and Sam Shepard carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "How many men can one bullet kill?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1179031 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jim Mickle directs. Ryan Samul behind the camera. Jeff Grace scores. John Paul Horstmann cuts. Produced in France, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 12 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: France, United States of America.
3Directed by Jim Mickle, shot by Ryan Samul. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jeff Grace. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor John Paul Horstmann shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Michael C. Hall and Don Johnson and Sam Shepard carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "How many men can one bullet kill?".
8IMDB entry: tt1179031 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 19 themes, including "based on novel or book", "shotgun", "cemetery", "texas".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ryan Samul
Original score: Jeff Grace
Editing: John Paul Horstmann
Production design: Russell Barnes
Costume design: Elisabeth Vastola
Makeup / hair: Katie Galliher
VFX supervisor: David Isyomin
Sound: Lewis Goldstein
Stunt coordinator: Anthony Vincent
Runtime: 109 min · 1h 49m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $427,418
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Cold in July (2014)

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Jim Mickle

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2016-03-24
★ 6/10
Kind of so good till Jim Bob Luke's entry. I'm glad I watched it, but if I had missed it, I would have not worried much. Anyway, you can't say like that until you watch any movie. This movie was excellent, I mean it for the first 40-45 minutes. So much twist and thrills, I was almost regretting for almost missing it. But once the character Jim Bob Luke was introduced in a grand style, the narration went off the track. The best parts were over, I got lost interest, and I asked myself why it has to be like this after a wonderful opening? Especially for the character Dane who was a family man and his choice was completely wrong. As mush as Dane, I wanted to know who he shot, but that was not the story's intention to reveal and went in a different direction to disappoint me. The guys (actors) were awesome, but the writing was a let down, it owes lots of explanation rather telling a decent story. It was an indie crime-thriller based on the novel of the same name, sets in the 1980s. I won't say the film was bad, but I enjoyed only the half movie, the first half. 6/10
John Chard2016-05-14
★ 8/10
All right, boys, it's Howdy Doody time. Cold in July is directed by Jim Mickle and Mickle co-adapts the screenplay with Nick Damici from the novel written by Joe R. Lansdale. It stars Sam Shepard, Michael C. Hall and Don Johnson. Music is by Jeff Grace and cinematography is by Ryan Samul. 1989 Texas and when Richard Dane (Hall) shoots and kills a burglar in his home, his life shifts into very dark places. A quality neo-noir pulper, Cold in July thrives because it never rests on its laurels. It consistently throws up narrative surprises, spinning the protagonists and us the audience into different territories. Fronted by three striking lead performances, each portraying a different type of character who bounce off of each other perfectly, the pic also has that late 80s swaggering appeal. Be it Grace's shifty synth based score, or the way Samul's photography uses primary colours for bold bluster, it's period reflective and tonally in keeping with the story. With substance in the writing, moody and dangerous atmosphere unbound and tech credits at the high end, this one is recommended with confidence to neo-noir fans. 8/10
The Movie Diorama2020-01-16
★ 7/10
Cold In July brings synthesised chills, bloody sleet and fatherly responsibilities. The distinction between murder, manslaughter and self-defence is one that continues to grow more appropriate in America with each passing year. How does one determine the truth when only one key witness is available to divulge in their perspective? Especially when the odds are in their favour by accidentally shooting a “wanted felon” in the eye. The police view it as heroism. The general public questioning its intent. The victim’s father overwhelmed with rage and demented turmoil, threatening the safety of the family thrown into the icy-cold chills of crime. Mickle’s intentionally masculine crime thriller is one that evokes themes of fatherhood. The paternal rights and responsibilities of their children who may, or may not, be following the path of sin. Ever increasing the protectorship of their guardian figure for the sake of the family they have lovingly crafted. It’s a natural instinct. To protect our own flesh and blood, no matter the cost. But what if that expenditure is too severe? What if their existence is causing suffering to others? The morality of these two fathers, the shooter and the victim’s patriarch, is tested through unlawful extremities. Challenges that conjure inner turmoil. And it’s only through Mickle’s astute direction do we as viewers journey down this careening route of masculinity. What starts off as a simplistic revenge thriller soon complicates itself into an absorbingly comedic drama, whilst still shrouded in pulpy neo-noir aesthetics. Grace’s booming synthesised score and Samul’s ornate use of vivid neon backdrops cement the noir elegance. Yet it’s Mickle’s insistence in shifting genres, adding a quirky aura of surrealism to the mix, that acts as gritty adhesive. Does it work? Not quite. The brutal tension that is meticulously built up in the first hour is palpable. Slow panning through tight corridors. Strikes of lightning illuminating the bleak darkness of 80’s Texas. The atmosphere compact with nullified thrills. Then the plot thickens. The local police become involved, a recruited Private Investigator struts his stuff and suddenly the genre changes. Intrinsic comedy is injected through Johnson’s character, contrasting against Shepard and Hall’s intimidatingly serious performances. Unfortunately, this relieves the suffocating tension that preceded it, relying on a clichéd yet stylistic conclusive shootout with moments of jarring humour. Whilst it does add characterisation, Mickle’s screenplay rarely furthers itself by being weighed down by overly basic dialogue. Conversational scenes, particularly between the two fathers, seemed muted. Lacking in fire and anger. If the script had been tighter with some sharper tongues for the characters, the complacent genre shift would’ve been more forgiving. The two were unable to mesh cohesively. That’s not a detriment to the overall technicality and theatricality of Cold In July. It remained bitterly deadly throughout and utterly watchable. If only the script had been tighter and the narrative differences more seamless when transitioning, we could’ve had ourselves an incredibly rare hidden gem of noir excellence.