Cold Pursuit is much more than your typical Liam Neeson action film. As a Dark Comedy, audiences will find a lot of enjoyment from director Hans Petter Moland's United States remake of his original film.
“Featuring a wildly entertaining mix of dynamic action and dark humor, Cold Pursuit stars Liam Neeson as Nels Coxman, a snowplow driver whose quiet family life is upended after his son’s murder. Nels begins a vengeful hunt for Viking, the drug lord he holds responsible for the killing, eliminating Viking’s associates one by one. As Nels draws closer to Viking, his actions bring even more unexpected and violent consequences, as he proves that revenge is all in the execution.”
In a world of Liam Neeson films that have unfortunately become all-too similar in story and in theme, on the surface, Cold Pursuit looks to fall in line with the rest. However, nothing could be farther from the truth as this film was a breath of fresh air when it comes to the actor and the types of films he’s chosen for. You may think the unfortunate interview, taken out of context that got Neeson into some hot water may have been the film’s most difficult hurdle, but in fact the marketing of the film which made it seem to be a rather mundane repeat of his past repertoire was the thing that hurt this film the most. As I strapped in for a revenge-driven thrill ride of a snow-plow driver, I found something much more than I had ever expected. Action takes a back seat for the most part, as the dark humor is what really propels this film forward and above expectations.
The director, Hans Petter Moland, returns to remake his own film which was released in Norway in 2014 as Kraftidioten, or In Order of Disappearance which stars Stellan Skarsgård. Instead of taking place in the cold, desolate parts of Norway, Cold Pursuit takes place in a Colorado mountain town. The setting is pivotal to the story and is almost a character in itself that all the characters have to battle with, with Neeson’s character Nels Coxman able to master it and use it to his advantage. From what I can tell, the same type of dark humor is preserved from the original and translated well in the U.S. version, an impressive feat, especially in Hollywood, not to mention the fact they kept the same director.
While the main plot of the story is in fact revenge for the death of Nels Coxman’s son, what I enjoyed most about the film was the exploration of several different subplots that add so much depth to the overall story. From the Native American rivalry, the lackey relationship, and the overzealous antagonist who I couldn’t stand at the beginning but won me over by the end of the film. These characters and storylines contribute greatly to the plot and to the enjoyment of the film. At times it felt more like an ensemble film than purely about Nels Coxman, a difficult feat to pull off in a film like this and keep audience attention, but it succeeds in doing just that. Liam Neeson plays the strong silent type well, although he’s getting a bit typecast in the role, his character doesn’t feel like he’s invincible here. He actually gets hurt, gets tired to the point of collapse in some instances, and although I tend to like invincible Liam Neeson that fist-fights wolves, this version can be a welcome change at times.
Although there is a lot of depth to the story, this can cause a lack of focus at times where I genuinely forgot the reasoning behind everything. This is exacerbated by the fact why Nels’ son was killed isn’t explained all that well and essentially glossed over. If we as the audience have no connection to this guy, don’t really have any information about it save for the fact he’s his son, it’s harder to connect with the loss and anger the protagonist is feeling. Although this may seem like a major issue with the story, the dark humor of it all won me over.
Video
Cold Pursuit is presented in 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1 featuring Dolby Vision. If 4k is known for anything, it’s the brilliant brights and deep darks. You aren’t going to get a better example of that than in Cold Pursuit, which has the majority of its setting in the pure white snow. The brightness here is incredible, with some of the most detailed picture I’ve seen. The colors and darks contrasted against this white background look amazing, and the dynamic meta data of the Dolby Vision enhance each scene as the levels are calibrated to look the absolute best no matter if one scene is brilliant white and the next in a dark room.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos. This track really does sound great. There is plenty of diverse use for this Atmos track, with some gunfire, atmospheric snow/wind effects, dialogue and the score. The score is one of my favorite things about this film, very unique sounding, almost playful in its execution.
Special Features
There are some great extras on this set, and when you’re dealing with a remake of a foreign film featuring the original director, there is always some great information to be heard.
- Welcome to Kehoe: Behind the Scenes on Cold Pursuit Featurette
- Interview with Actor Liam Neeson
- Interview with Director Hans Petter Moland
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
Cold Pursuit may look like another typical Liam Neeson revenge flick on the surface, but it’s so much more than that. I was so pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this film, it has a lot to offer audiences, as well as putting Hans Petter Moland on the radar of directors to look out for. For those that enjoy the film, his original is on Netflix and I for one can’t wait to watch and compare the two. That’s the mark of a great film, inspiring you to go beyond what’s on the screen.
