A descent film with good tone but light on substance.
“Edge of Winter” stars Joel Kinnaman as Elliot Baker, the father of two boys.
Living in a remote area, Elliot is set to get some quality alone time with his sons when his ex-wife goes on vacation with the new man. The ex-wife doesn’t play much of a role as she quickly exits the film, leaving the boys with their father.
The two boys do a very good job.
Tom Holland (Bradley) and Percy Hynes White (Caleb) are quite different. Bradley is the straight-laced kid who is uncomfortable with guns and the outdoors life as a whole. Caleb, on the other hand, is open to the learning about the things his father enjoys, such as shooting a rifle. And as the father tries to bond, there is a bit of a struggle with Bradley and how different they are. There’s an awkwardness to their time together that makes sense and is reflective of the country versus city differences between people.
But as Bradley and his father find their rhythm, the trio get trapped in the wintry outdoors and end up in survival mode. And this is where the movie shifts with physical dangers, meeting strangers and an overall switch in Elliot, who fears losing his sons and being estranged from them. His mental state becomes fearful and paranoid.
There’s some really tense-filled moments. Not knowing where it was headed and just how far the story would go. The kids do a great job of selling the panic. And from the start, the film had this ominous tone that hung over each scene.
“Edge of Winter” isn’t a great movie but it has entertainment value. It lacks a bit of meat in parts. But while it is lean, it does trim down to the main beats without excess. I would have liked a bit more about the strangers they meet. It felt a bit rushed.
And the movie would have been better served to bring more light into Elliot’s life. The writers may have wanted to keep him more of a mystery to provide more uncertainty, thereby creating more anxiety. But his mental shift felt a bit jarring. Was he always a bit off and the news just broke him, did the accident affect him or the weather? It’s not clear. So maybe it’s all of the above, leaning heavily on the former.
Score: 6/10
