I love this movie so much

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I wanted to really like this movie. I'm a fan of Michael C Hall and him being in this film was the main drawl for me. The premise sounded decent enough. In fact, it sounded original in my opinion so I was excited to settle down and watch it last night. The movie gets right down to business and I was pulled in immediately. It was interesting to see everything that probably would happen if you happened to kill an intruder in your house. Nothing pleasant there. I actually thought I had this whole movie figured out in fifteen minutes. I couldn't have been more wrong, but probably only because it started off being one movie and ended as another. Yes, this movie was actually two movies smushed together. Sadly, I enjoyed the first part much more than the second part. At least Michael C Hall was in it from start to finish. Honestly I think each half of the movie had they actually been two separate films would have been great, but as one it felt disjointed. I can't say enough that it is still an enjoyable film. I just wish it had stayed on the course it started on. The acting was very good. Sam Shepherd and Don Johnson were great in their roles and I could watch Michael C Hall act in anything. He's just so believable and so real that I find myself totally engrossed in whatever he's doing. He's a very serious actor, but he also does humor incredibly well even in a serious role. I love that!There was also a thing or two that never did get explained unless I somehow missed it.

For lack of better terminology, these dark, southern, noirish, dramas have become all the rage in Hollywood. Films like Winter's Bone, Joe, and Mud have been highly critically acclaimed and have come to define the 2010 decade in film, but where there is success, there are bound to be copycats, enter Cold In July. Whoever thought that Don Johnson would have any kind of chemistry with Dexter what so ever, must have been out of there mind, as right from the beginning, this film was doomed. A simple man kills a home invader and is stalked by the father of the man he killed. Obsessed with taking a life and wanting to know more about what led to this man become the person he's become, Dane (Michael C. Hall) and his team of misfits, stalk the family right back and uncover an even bigger mystery. While this story had potential, the writers thought it was too dark and decided to have some fun with it. Isn't that nice of them, to combine misplaced comic relief with actors who have no chemistry at all? Cold In July doesn't only lack chemistry but it also lacks focus. At times this film is as dark and serious as it gets, then just as quickly everyone is drunk and paling around, it just doesn't fit and it doesn't work. The whole genre of these films is dark, disparaging, and sometime disturbing. If their is any humor or positivity to be had, it typically occurs at the very end. Michael C. Hall pretty much has the same dry personality as Dexter, except with a family and a conscious, while Don Johnson is the psychopath who wants to hurt people and thinks it's funny. The bottom line is this film is just a mess of actors who don't belong with each other, characters who should never have gotten along, jumping between scenes that are the complete polar opposites of one another. I liked the story and there are a few interesting moments, but it's just isn't enough to carry the film.

Sure there are several plot loose ends hanging uncomfortably. Sure "Cold in July" seems like two separate films pieced together. The fact is that both halves have good entertainment value. The first half is tense, while the second half is quite bloody. Ultimately this is a tale of revenge, and like "Death Wish", the transformation from the meek to the mighty is not always a comfortable one. Acting is strong, and the story is far from predictable. I could immediately watch this again, it's that entertaining. "Cold in July" is what good independent film looks like, and I highly recommend seeking this one out. In my DVD collection, "Cold in July" is a definite keeper. ......... - MERK

Going into Jim Mickle's Cold In July, I had very low expectations, but I must say that Cold In July surpasses my very low expectations and is now a movie that I can consider slightly underrated.Cold In July features a great cast of very talented actors including Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson, who all bring something different to the table. Add in a bold, seedy narrative and an assortment of tones, Cold In July provides a somewhat uneven, but satisfying, roller-coaster ride of a movie.The first act of Cold In July is basically a blatant rip-off of David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. Being a fan of that film though, I didn't find this too much of an issue, but the resemblance between the two is uncanny. That said, the first act is ultimately pretty predictable. It's still watchable and fairly engrossing, but it isn't really until the second act where things take a very unexpected turn and things really pick up.The second act is where the film takes a huge leap in a different direction, and I must admit, it was ballsy, but it certainly pays off in the end. We are introduced formally to Sam Shepard's and Don Johnson's characters and the three form an unlikely, but hilarious team. Sadly though, after the introduction to these great characters, the act really begins to slow and sag compared to the rest of the film. But the third act really provides the relief and fun that we needed.The third act feels like a completely different movie than the rest, but this is where the film is most enjoyable. Our team gets drawn into a brutally dark secondary story line and from here is where we get some gritty, yet comedic, action violence that we all secretly wanted. The third act did feel somewhat disjointed but it was still an absolute blast and just a ton of fun.All three of these acts are very different from another and that does give Cold In July a disjointed and sometimes clumsy narrative. Story lines are brought in and dropped without resolution, and the tone switches are jarring at times. My biggest issue with the film is that it develops on some interesting ideas but never fully realizes them due to the story's frantic need to move forward at a break-neck pace. We abandon some interesting story lines throughout to replace them with others.Cold In July certainly isn't a polished and perfect movie. The jarring tone shifts and plot jumps give the film a staggered feeling. Despite these issues, Cold In July is well acted, entertaining and ultimately a ton of fun. Our unlikely team of likable anti-heroes have excellent chemistry, whether it be in the violent action sequences or the small spurts of dark humor. These interactions are all tightly-knit and leads to a surprisingly satisfying ending. This makes Cold In July a ton of fun to watch. Just don't go into it expecting a cohesive story or delicate narrative and you should be as pleased as I am.