Tribeca 2025 Review: IN COLD LIGHT, Neo-Noir Thriller Impresses With Visuals, Rings Hollow Otherwise

There is a common joke going around the press at film festivals around the world that if a film features shots of a character looking wistfully into the eyes of a cow, it is usually not a good sign for things to come. In Cold Light, which just had its premiere at the Tribeca Festival, doesn’t have a cow, but it does feature bulls, there is some gazing into their eyes involved, and, well, the joke once again proves to be somewhat based in reality.

In Cold Light starts with a sequence of events we’ve seen many times: a drug deal gets busted, Ava (Maika Monroe) ends up in prison, and some unknown time later, she is released and is greeted by her twin brother, Tom (Jesse Irving). For a while after that, the story develops like a psychological drama that hinges on the fringes of criminal activity in which Tom is still involved, unbeknownst to their rodeo-riding father (Troy Kotsur), who openly disapproves of Ava’s previous antics.

Ava is perpetually lost, not able to fully go back to her previous life and activities -- she is “a risk” now -- but not able to move forward, either. While the fact that Tom is going to be killed, setting the action in motion, is right there in the synopsis, it comes at the most unexpected time, and in such an unexpected fashion, it’s almost shocking.

Unfortunately, it’s the only time the movie really delivers something surprising. In a way, it’s not even the fault of the film or its director, Maxime Giroux, for whom In Cold Light marks his English language debut. It’s the whole neo-noir construct the movie relies on, the one that historically doesn’t grant its heroes and heroines many opportunities: most of these stories are about the impossible task of outrunning the past and oneself.

The parallel between Ava and the rodeo bulls, which the film emphasizes on several occasions, is tragic but rather obvious. Just like those bulls, Ava is on the precipice of something, but she doesn’t control the outcome, since in her world, there is always going to be someone who wants to hold the reins. So, the odyssey Ava is forced to undertake, while emotionally resonant thanks to Monroe, who basically carries the film on her shoulders, is also one we’ve sort of seen before.

The camerawork helmed by Sara Mishara (who has previously worked with Maxime Giroux on his feature debut, Demain, and Felix and Meira) is one of the best and most creative aspects of the film, doing its best to create the chaotic images of the hostile world around Ava and to breathe life into something that looks more like an exercise in style. Some of Nicolas Winding Refn’s works come to mind as a reference – of a later variety, where style also prevails over everything, and there are meaningful pauses all over the place. Speaking of meanings, while visuals are the film’s friend, its narrative isn’t.

The runtime fits into the seemingly concise 96 minutes, but the story still manages to come off as bloated when flashbacks about Ava’s mom’s tragic death and flashforwards that might actually be dreams appear on screen. As previously mentioned, Monroe does a fantastic job of getting us invested in Ava’s journey, as does Troy Kotsur in his brief but effective appearances. And of course, it’s always great to see Helen Hunt in whatever form we can get her, but, honestly, her efforts are mostly wasted here.

One can even feel bad for the bulls – as grim predictions for the film’s resonance go, we’ve definitely seen more memorable ones.

The film enjoys its world premiere at Tribeca Festival 2025.