Maika Monroe Is Fantastic in the Gritty Thriller ‘In Cold Light’

In Cold Light marks a bold and gritty English-language debut from French-Canadian director Maxime Giroux. Shot on grainy film stock, this visually stunning thriller boasts impressive lead performances from Maika Monroe and Oscar winner Troy Kotsur as an estranged daughter and her Deaf father facing mortal peril from vicious gangsters. It’s a dark odyssey of betrayal, escape, and survival, and it winds through disparate settings to great cinematic effect. Despite pacing problems, the film remains engrossing as a deeply layered narrative comes to an unexpected and sobering conclusion.

Set in the town of Ponoka in Alberta, Canada, the film opens on a drug dealer getting high near a cliff. Ava (Monroe) lies in the grass smoking meth as she receives an order, as she drives in a haze towards a seemingly normal suburban house. The drugs change hands as Ava observes her customers hanging out in various states of partying. They’re all completely oblivious to the police officers creeping towards the front door. Ava tries to escape the raid, but is quickly apprehended after smashing through an upstairs window.

Two years later, a gaunt and angry Ava is paroled from prison. Tom (Jesse Irving), her twin brother, picks her up with important news, but she responds coldly to the update as they arrive at their father’s house. Will (Troy Kotsur), a former rodeo champion, gives her a brief hug before signing instructions to her brother: Ava needs to get her stuff and leave immediately. He hasn’t completely cut ties, however, as Ava works as a cleaner at the famed Ponoka Stampede under Will’s judgmental eye. He still hopes to reclaim his former glory, while ordering her to pick up horse manure and feed the cattle. Then Tom arrives to take Ava to a long-overdue meeting; it turns out that drug dealing is a family affair, an ugly secret the twins have kept from their father, and Ava wants back in the game.

Giroux (Felix and Meira, The Great Darkened Days) grabs your attention with edgy cinematography. Everything is seen from Ava’s perspective; her initially inebriated state gives the film a hallucinatory quality, with bright lighting and jittery camera movements. Giroux also focuses on Ava’s expressions as she takes stock of what’s happening around her, and Monroe fills the screen with emotive responses, because Ava can barely hide her feelings. The audience can easily tell when she’s upset and uninterested before fear becomes her normal countenance.

Ava’s perception changes dramatically as shocking violence shatters her homecoming. She’s now a hunted animal running from powerful and ruthless adversaries. Giroux darkens the lighting while bathing Ava in vivid hues of red, green, and blue. She has to stay ahead of her pursuers, but cannot abandon her family, even though they don’t trust her — whoever is orchestrating the campaign to kill Ava will undoubtedly target those closest to her. Then a truly unexpected wrinkle exacerbates Ava’s fight for survival, and makes the odds even worse as Ava must somehow level the playing field against a vastly superior threat.

In Cold Light explores the rift that drove Ava from her father. No spoilers, but this is heady and emotional stuff. The script by Patrick Whistler has a lot of baggage to unpack. Serious issues that would probably require years of therapy are brought to light under extreme duress. Ava’s troubled past catches up to everyone at the wrong time. She must flee from her attackers and confront the guilt that has “trapped her” since childhood. There’s a maelstrom under the surface that Ava needs to address while dodging bullets and fists.

Monroe, who achieved stardom from the horror hits It Follows and Longlegs, shows considerable range here. She’s a weary protagonist that’s scraping the bottom of the barrel, but Ava is tough as nails, resourceful, and willing to fight back. The villains aren’t invulnerable and learn a bloody lesson about her fierce resolve. Monroe delivers solid action throughout, but it’s the dramatic moments between Ava and her father that highlight In Cold Light.

Monroe and Kotsur are riveting in these pivotal scenes. They communicate via sign language, and have a physical intensity that rivals the carnage. Will has been lied to and is clueless about his children’s true activities. Their shared traumatic past led to a foundation of systematic dishonesty. You can imagine Will’s reaction when ugly truths are dropped on him like a missile. He’s shocked to his core but literally has no time to digest and comprehend bombshell reveals. Will must trust Ava, or they’re all dead.

Giroux cuts dream sequences into the narrative that aren’t fully explained until the climax. They’re artistically done and serve a crucial purpose, but tend to derail the tension at inopportune times. This tactic and Giroux’s tendency to linger on Monroe for extended periods admittedly slows down the film. That said, you never lose interest in the plot or characters. In Cold Light just requires a little patience to fully absorb Giroux’s vision. It pays off in an ending that hits like a gut punch.

In Cold Light opens in theaters on Jan. 23.

This review was originally published for the film’s premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.