In A Cold Vein Review (Frightfest 2025)
Like some of the most striking films to play at Frightfest (Kill List, Oldboy, Pan’s Labyrinth), In A Cold Vein is more horror-adjacent than fully horror – and yet it’s still gripping as hell. Directed by Eric Owen, it’s a noirish thriller laced with sharp flashes of violence and a palpable sense of dread. The low budget is immediately apparent, yet the heavy, oppressive atmosphere Owen conjures up just about compensates for it, and marks a clear improvement on his debut, Thirst.
The film begins with Dean (Evan Gamble) being driven out into the wilderness to be executed by two squabbling hitmen (Brian Villalobos and P Michael Hayes). In truth, this is the best segment of the film – the set-up is irresistible, grabbing your attention from the opening shot. There’s no wasted exposition, just an immediate sense of danger, punctuated by the hitmen’s constant bickering and offhand conversations over where to dump the body, and what to eat afterwards. The writing here sparkles, finding a balance that is darkly funny and still brimming with tension.
From here, the film’s structure becomes apparent – it’s effectively three set-pieces with a wraparound story, as Dean works his way through various henchmen to discover who hired the killers. These segments are largely successful – the encounter with a menacing truck driver (Steve Brudniak) is especially great, a chilling, unpredictable detour. The entire sequence is infused with a real sense of unease, and Brudniak’s sinister, disarming performance keeps the audience on the back foot, hinting at a darker, alternate direction the film could easily go in.
The overarching plot is less successful – it’s more conventional thriller fare, with one story element telegraphed so heavily it robs the narrative of suspense. When the focus shifts away from the doomed man and his would-be killers, the momentum sags. Similarly, the banal dialogue, while funny in early scenes, feels aimless later on, only serving to pad out the runtime.
The story isn’t especially deep, but the strength of Evan Gamble’s performance does a lot of heavy lifting and papers over some of the leaps in logic. He pitches his character’s desperation perfectly and is never anything less than authentic. Some of the supporting cast (particularly those playing his partner and his brother) struggle to bring the same conviction, and often feel like they are playing archetypes rather than real people.
Shot in just 10 days, In A Cold Vein has a rough-edged but assured feel. The low-budget aesthetic, B-Movie acting and moody synth score (composed by Owen) help create a distinctive, if uneven, vibe. The cinematography occasionally delivers striking images, but is often so dark that key details are obscured. The violence is nastily effective when it erupts, though too sporadic to push the film into outright horror territory. There are also moments that strain credulity (Chief among them the protagonist’s unlikely resilience – just how does this guy survive so many whacks on the head from a wrench?), but these are forgivable within the pulpy framework Owen is working in.
Ultimately, In A Cold Vein is a solid, if not particularly memorable, thriller – it’s taut, darkly funny, and filled with tension. It may suffer slightly from a cheap aesthetic, and the plotting can feel predictable, but Owen’s ear for character and offbeat dialogue gives it flashes of personality. More importantly, Gamble’s raw, intense performance will keep the audience hooked. Frightfest may have more original fare on offer, but as a moody, low-budget slice of noir-tinged suspense, this one earns its place.
In a Cold Vein receives its world premiere at FrightFest on 22 August 2025 / Evan Gamble, Brian Villalobos, P. Michael Hayes II, Mor Cohen / Dir: Eric Owen / Blue Finch Films / Unrated
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