Cold Pursuit (2019)

Directed by: Hans Petter Moland | 119 minutes | action, crime, thriller | Actors: Liam Neeson, Laura Dern, Micheál Richardson, Michael Eklund, Bradley Stryker, Wesley MacInnes, Tom Bateman, Domenick Lombardozzi, Nicholas Holmes, Jim Shield, Aleks Paunovic, Glenn Ennis, Benjamin Hollingsworth, John Doman, Emmy Rossum, Chris W. cook

Liam Neeson has developed into the ultimate avenger in recent years. To throw a pun against it: ‘That seat is Taken’. Is there something to be avenged? Call Liam, ’cause he’ll get the job done. This is also the case in the very amusing ‘Cold Pursuit’ by Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland, a remake of ‘In Order of Disappearance’ (‘Kraftidioten’) from 2014.

Neeson plays the hardworking snowthrower Nels Coxman, whose son Kyle, who works at the Kehoe airport, is murdered. The perpetrators? A drug gang led by the flamboyant Trevor “Viking” Calcote (Tom Bateman). With the help of his brother Brock (the always intriguing William Forsythe), who also has a bone to pick with the drug lord, Liam immediately sets to work. The fence is blown when three Viking gang members: Speedo, Limbo and Santa, disappear from the face of the earth. And if the Indians operating in the same neighborhood (led by White Bull) also get involved, we have a drug war on our hands – with a strongly increasing body count – that is unparalleled!

You see far in advance where this will lead, but Moland still knows how to give it a nice twist. Neeson is just doing his familiar thing, doing his job almost without emotion. As a means of coercion to get Viking into a confrontation, he kidnaps his son Ryan (notable supporting role by Nicholas Holmes). Every time there is a death to mourn, the screen goes ‘black’ and we see the name and nickname of the victim. A nice gimmick, because a lot of original nicknames pass by, some of them are explained. The camera work is original and – also included – the ‘bad guy’ is not presented too crazy. He does have his quirks, so he insists that his son stay away from bad food.

‘Cold Pursuit’ is a movie that you just have to watch without thinking (How does Liam get the arsenal of weapons? How can he outsmart trained assassins?). Downside: Laura Dern, who shows up as Nels’ wife. She is out of place and even seems to be a superfluous addition. And yes, Liam doesn’t like the emotion. That’s just his tough character, a man doesn’t cry. Not even if he loses his son. From funny sidelines (Nels reading Ryan a separate story) to the famous showdown at the end. We’ve seen it all before, but ‘Cold Pursuit’ is just that little bit more original. “Revenge is best served cold,” says the cover. Not great, but pleasant to look at. In any case, this film will not leave you ‘cold’. There is plenty going on to warm up…