SYNOPSIS: In the crime drama “In Cold Blood,” starring Maika Monroe and Troy Kotsur, and now playing in theatres, a woman, fresh out of prison, is forced to go on the run when she witnesses a murder.
CAST: Maika Monroe, Troy Kotsur, Helen Hunt, Allan Hawco. Directed by Maxime Giroux.
REVIEW: The low-key English language debut of director Maxime Giroux, “In Cold Light” benefits from a steady hand on the wheel, and (eventually) pedal to the metal pacing.
Set mostly on one event filled night, Maika Monroe plays Ava, a felon fresh out of the joint after a drug bust. When her plan to go straight by cleaning out stalls for rodeo-riding father Will (Troy Kotsur) doesn’t work out, she is determined to reclaim her place in the drug business she left behind, now being run by twin brother Tom (Jesse Irving).
When a deal goes south, she witnesses a murder and is framed for the crime by corrupt cops and a cold-blooded rival in the form of drug lord Claire (Helen Hunt). To survive Ava—and a family secret—hoof it as her enemies close in.
“In Cold Light” takes few minutes to kick in.
Giroux takes his time with the set-up, establishing the family dynamics and Ava’s outsider status as she returns to a world and a business that is much different than the one she left behind. Once the stakes have been established, “In Cold Blood” proves itself to be a generic, but effective and stylish (thanks to cinematographer Sara Mishara) neo-noir.
Best known as a scream queen in films like “Longlegs” and “It Follows,” Munroe is a big reason “In Cold Light” remains compelling. Steely but vulnerable, she is given room in the sparse script to explore Ava’s physical and emotional sides. Ava begins as a gritty, mysterious character but slowly transcends the cliches of the crime thriller genre to become worthy of sympathy even as her behavior escalates.
As Ava’s father Will, Oscar winner Kotsur adds to the film’s emotional sweepstakes.
“In Cold Light” is a moody thriller that is a little light on memorable situations or characters—save for Ava and Will—but at a tight 93 minutes, it delivers enough style to transcend its pulpy roots.
Canadians are proudly buying local, waving the maple leaf, and rallying behind homegrown culture — so why are Canadian movie theaters suddenly empty?
This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Sarah and I unpack the surprising 40% drop in Canadian film attendance and ask a big question: if we love Canadian creators, why aren’t we showing up for Canadian movies?
From Mike Myers’ cultural rallying cry to the legacy of comedy icons like John Candy, plus a heartfelt tribute to the late Robert Duvall, the conversation dives into movie-going habits, streaming culture, national identity, and whether Canadian storytelling needs a reinvention… or just a bigger audience.
Are Canadian films overlooked, misunderstood, or simply waiting for their moment? Grab your popcorn — this one gets personal.
I appear on “CTV News at 11:30” with anchor Andria Case to talk about the weekend’s best shows and movies including the concert film “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” and the thriller “How to Make a Killing.”
On the Saturday February 21, 2026 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet artist Michael Townsend.
Have you heard about the Netflix movie “Secret Mall Apartment”? It’s the wildly popular story, set in the early two thousands, about a group of eight young artists and friends from Rhode Island who secretly built and lived in a hidden 750-square-foot apartment inside the busy Providence Place Mall in Providence, Rhode Island.
They discovered an unused “nowhere space” in the mall’s structure, snuck in furniture, tapped into electricity, constructed walls (including smuggling in over 2 tons of cinderblock to build a fortified, lockable entrance), and even furnished it with everyday items like a TV, gaming system, books, and couches—all while filming much of the process themselves.
They lived there undetected for four years (until 2007), when they were eventually caught and charged with trespassing.
Then, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol of “Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie.”
The movie, which blends footage from the 2007–2009 web series of the same name, begins with unemployed musicians Matt and Jay (Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol) hatching a plan to land a gig at the legendary Rivoli on Queen Street West in Toronto. Without contacting the club, writing any songs or practising, they decide to parachute off the CN Tower into the Skydome during a baseball game to announce the show in front of a stunned crowd.
What could go wrong? Well, lots.
No spoilers here, but when their skydiving stunt doesn’t get them the Rivoli gig, they (along with their camera guy Jared Raab) find themselves accidentally traveling back to the year 2008, and struggling to find a way back to the future.
Each week on the nationally syndicated Richard Crouse Show, Canada’s most recognized movie critic brings together some of the most interesting and opinionated people from the movies, television and music to put a fresh spin on news from the world of lifestyle and pop-culture. Tune into this show to hear in-depth interviews with actors and directors, to find out what’s going on behind the scenes of your favourite shows and movies and get a new take on current trends. Recent guests include Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!
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I appear on “CTV News at 11:30” with anchor Andria Case to talk about the Chris Hemsworth heist movie “Crime 101” and the Disney+ show “Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette.
I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with anchor Zuraidah Alman to talk about new movies in theatres including the return of the king in “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” the dark comedy “How to Make a Killing” and the horror movie “Diabolic.”
I join CTV Atlantic’s Todd Battis to talk about the return of the king in “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” the dark comedy “How to Make a Killing” and the horror movie “Diabolic.”
I sit with Deb Hutton on NewsTalk 1010 to go over some of the week’s biggest entertainment stories and movies playing in theatres. We talk about the new U2 EP, William Shatner going to where he has never gone before, whether The Beatles may have reunited before John Lennon’s death and I review “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.”
