If you found yourself in a life or death situation, you could do far worse than calling on Barb (Emma Thompson) to help in the icy delight Dead of Winter. Barb is heading out in a snowstorm to go fishing on a frozen lake, and stops to ask for directions. A few things don't seem right, but she ploughs on, despite the drips of blood visible in the snow...
Gun shots ring out, and it transpires that a young girl has been kidnapped by a desperate couple, with their intentions becoming clear as the story unfolds. Barb's car gets stuck when she tries to go for help, whilst her ancient-looking mobile phone also has no reception (although it probably has Snake). It's solely down to Barb to intervene and provide the kidnapped girl a lifeline.
Emma Thompson is ace in this, and it's a decent edge-of-your-seat cat and mouse thriller. Some of the flashback sequences veer into the mawkish, but if you think the younger version of Thompson looks pretty convincing, that's because she is played by her daughter Gaia Wise.
My other film of the week is Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight, telling the story of Rhodesia and the election of Robert Mugabe at a time of segregation and war, through the eyes of an eight year old girl. Lexi Venter is just superb, and is our narrator through a series of events that see the family farm under threat from terrorism and division. I found it original, compelling and beautifully shot. I was the only person in the screening, which is a real pity. A cute cat, simmering family tensions, a divided country, and a climate of constant peril peppered with occasional moments of humour, this is another hidden gem.
Others in brief...Him was a total disappointment for me, I'm afraid. Aside from a pulpy sequence that I quite enjoyed at the crescendo of the story, it just didn't grab me at all. Characters I didn't care about and an American Football-based story as far fetched and wafter-thin as you can imagine, I wouldn't bother with it if I were you. After seeing Jordan Peele's name on the credits, this is not a fraction as good as the likes of Nope and Get Out.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 wasn't a patch on the original, and I've experienced more suspense driving round Simister Island. I'm a little aghast there are apparently plans for a third one. The original worked quite well, and was only released last year, as a couple's idyllic cottage getaway is ruined by strangers who simply won't stop knocking at the door and interrupting their amorous plans. Watch that instead.
And Play Dirty (Amazon Prime) may not be quite as bad as Flight Risk when Mark Wahlberg shaved off his hair for the role, but it starts with a great opening scene and goes off the boil from there. Not much of a story, and very much action by numbers. Still, I've seen worse.
