The psychological thriller Dead of Winter, featuring Emma Thompson of Harry Potter fame, is now the most popular movie on HBO Max in the US. It quickly rose to the top spot after becoming available on the streaming service in late February, bumping If I Had Legs I’d Kick You down to second place, according to data from Flixpatrol.
I’ve noticed that really good psychological thrillers always seem to do well on streaming, even though there are so many out there. So, it’s not surprising to me that Dead of Winter is getting a lot of attention on HBO Max – it’s got this incredibly unsettling vibe, and the performances from Thompson and Judy Greer are just captivating. I was totally hooked!
What Is Dead Of Winter About?
Dead Of Winter Is A Psychological Thriller About A Kidnapping Gone Wrong
Bran Kirk’s Dead of Winter tells the story of Barb, a woman grieving the loss of her husband. While driving through the Minnesota winter to revisit the cabin where she and her husband first met, Barb gets lost and must ask for help at a secluded cabin.
On her way to Lake Hilda to scatter her late husband’s ashes, Barb unexpectedly sees a man she’d asked for directions shoot a young woman. Determined to help, she decides to rescue the woman, Leah, but quickly discovers it won’t be easy.
A suspenseful chase unfolds as Barb tries to rescue Leah from her kidnappers, and clues about the motive behind the kidnapping slowly begin to surface.
What Critics Thought Of Dead Of Winter
Dead of Winter Reviews Were Mostly Positive
When Dead of Winter first came out, critics gave it a score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. That score has since increased to 76%. While the movie wasn’t a critical sensation, reviews were generally positive, considering its noticeable flaws.
In a review for ScreenRant, Gregory Nussen rated Dead of Winter a 4 out of 10, noting that the plot was fairly thin, which he didn’t necessarily see as a negative. He acknowledged the movie had some flaws, but praised the performances of Thompson and Greer, saying their scenes together almost rescued the film from being boring.
In a review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw praised the film Dead of Winter, particularly highlighting how Thompson’s charming and relatable performance effectively balanced the intense villainy of Greer’s character.
Film critic Christy Lemire noted in a three-star review that director Kirk creates a powerfully quiet atmosphere in Dead of Winter, making the moments of violence especially shocking. While the movie’s plot isn’t particularly original, its suspenseful and unsettling mood makes it worthwhile.
Dead Of Winter Had A Quiet Theatrical Release
Dead Of Winter Was Released In 2025
Dead of Winter first appeared at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on August 8, 2025, and was released in theaters a month later on September 25, 2025. Even with a strong lead performance by Thompson, the film didn’t gain much attention when it was shown in theaters.
Since its debut on HBO on February 20, 2026, Dead of Winter has been gaining popularity. Whether Kirk’s new show will stay at the top of the streaming charts for a long time is yet to be determined.
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2026-03-02 19:48