Emma Thompson’s “riveting” and “tense” survival thriller gets new UK streaming home

by

The UK now has a new place to watch Dead of Winter, the gripping survival thriller featuring Emma Thompson. While known for her roles in high-end dramas, this film offered Thompson a chance to try something different.

The movie stars Thompson as Barb, a reserved woman from Minnesota mourning the loss of her husband. While traveling to a special lake to scatter his ashes, she unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a perilous situation.

When Barb discovers a young woman named Leah (Laurel Marsden) is being held captive, she tries to rescue her. However, she’s met with fierce resistance from a dangerous couple (played by Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca) determined to kill the girl.

What to Read Next

The survival thriller, directed by Brian Kirk, first premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in August. It then had a limited release in cinemas before becoming available to stream on Paramount+ in the UK.

You can subscribe to the streaming service for £4.99 a month, and new users can try it free for 7 days. If you already have Prime Video, you can add it as an extra channel. Plus, Sky Cinema subscribers get it included at no extra cost.

Critics generally liked Dead of Winter when it came out. Currently, 76% of reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes have given the film a positive rating, based on 78 reviews.

“[It’s] a heart-pounding, terror-filled tale of survival that gives way to poignant emotional beauty thanks to a powerhouse performance by Emma Thompson, superb lensing and an all-encompassing sensory experience of sound and score,” wrote Behind the Lens, who called it “riveting”.

I absolutely loved what The Spectator had to say! They called it well-made, tense, and just plain fun. And honestly, if you’ve ever wanted to see a regular sixty-year-old woman with a gun, or, uh, use a claw hammer on someone’s foot… well, this delivers! It’s surprisingly thrilling.

The movie features many fast-paced chases filmed in freezing conditions. It was a different kind of role for Thompson, who described the shoot in Finland as incredibly demanding.

I was really anxious about the underwater scenes, honestly,” she admitted to Picturehouse. “We had a lot of breath-holding training, and spent weeks getting used to the cold by practicing in frozen lakes.”

The actor arrived in Finland a month early to get used to the cold weather. It was -29 degrees Celsius when they landed, which they found really beneficial for preparing for the film shoot.

Dead of Winter is streaming now on Paramount+.

The latest issue of Living Legends, a vibrant, full-color 100-page magazine dedicated to Taylor Swift, is now available! You can purchase it at newsstands or online for only £8.99.

Read More

2026-02-27 18:49