Film Review - Cold Storage

Images courtesy of STUDIOCANAL.

Jonny Campbell’s latest film, Cold Storage, arrives in this year’s uncharacteristically dry season for genre fare, hot on the heels of tepid responses to films like Primate, Whistle, and, sadly, even the latest 28 Years. But it aims to stake its own claim on audience attention spans, positioning itself as a midnight drive-in double feature of styles: part science fiction schlock, part buddy comedy, and entirely willing to lean into the silliness of both angles. Adapted by David Koepp from his own novel and anchored by a cast that includes Joe Keery of Stranger Things (2016-2025) and the criminally underseen Spree (2020), Barbarian’s (2022) very own Georgina Campbell, and Liam “I Will Find You” Neeson, the film trades subtlety for momentum and, more often than not, gets away with it. 

I'll let the cat out of the bag early - the film’s greatest asset is its central duo. Joe Keery’s laid-back, slightly dopey Teacake and Georgina Campbell’s sharp, no-nonsense Naomi have a chemistry that keeps the film grounded even as the plot careens into increasingly absurd territory. Their banter feels lively and, in contrast with the film's overall suspension of disbelief energy, authentic, as their rapport supplies the emotional ballast the film needs when the narrative opts for cartoonish spectacle over your typical dread. Tonally, Cold Storage sits firmly in the latter part of the horror-comedy register, echoing the brainless fun of 2010s sleepover classics like Grabbers (2012) or Zombieland (2009), along with the gooey mischief of something like James Gunn's Slither (2006). It opens with a tense, almost procedural prologue that pays visual homage to films like The Andromeda Strain (1971), then happily dissolves into a Saturday-morning cartoon of exploding bodies, both animal and human, as the fungi moves from host to host. That tonal line is key to the film’s charm: it never pretends to be more serious than it is, and that self-awareness lets it land jokes that might otherwise feel tasteless. 

The film’s visual approach is a mixed bag. Plentiful CG gore fuels many of the movie’s biggest laughs and shocks, and there’s a gleeful inventiveness to the ways people and animals are turned into biological confetti. Yet the CGI quality is inconsistent; some set-pieces pop instantaneously and with great impact, while others linger in the cheap digital realm. That unevenness undercuts a few of the film’s more ambitious moments, but it also reinforces the movie’s unserious, B-movie aesthetic - if you can accept the premise, the digital wobble becomes part of the ride. 

Supporting players add texture even when their roles are small. Liam Neeson brings a certain set of skills to the grizzled authority of his retired harbinger scientist, and veterans like Vanessa Redgrave and Lesley Manville lend a touch of class to otherwise disposable cameos. The script doesn’t always make the most of these talents, but their presence elevates the material when the plot is in need of a little pedigree, with its affable charm from the leads. For viewers who want a tight, thoughtful sci-fi horror mixture, Cold Storage will undoubtedly frustrate, but for those in the mood for messy, gory fun, its lead chemistry and gleeful commitment to splatter-comedy make it an entertaining - if imperfect - midnight snack for genre fans.

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