Cold Pursuit

2019 black action comedy

Rating: 14/20

Plot: A snowplow driver tries to figure out who is behind the death of his son, and things get violent.

There are multiple scenes where Liam Neeson's character, while on a quest to figure out what happened to his son, repeats the stupid name of some dude in this drug-dealing organization with this kind of irritated stupor.

Guy Who Thinks He's Going to Be Killed by Liam Neeson: His name's Limbo.
Neeson: Limbo?

Or--

Other Guy about to Be Killed by Liam Neeson: You're looking for Santa.
Neeson: Santa?

Not knowing that this was actually a darkly comedic and unpredictably absurdist take on these Neeson 'Taken' movies, I thinking early that this probably should have been a comedy instead of being aware that it was actually a comedy. The stuffy literary allusions early convinced me that this was taking itself too seriously. It starts with an Oscar Wilde quote about people causing happiness either by their presence or their absence, and within ten minutes or so, Robert Frost, Lord of the Flies, and Psalms manage to work their way into the screenplay.

Soon, it becomes clear that this isn't just a movie with comedic touches. No, this is a movie that contains actual gags. Along with just enough style, some nice snowy landscape shots, and a cute George Fenton score, the humor keeps this entertaining and just different enough to remain interesting. That aforementioned unpredictability certainly helps as there are lots of moments when you have no idea this is going or why it got to where it's at.

Lots of fatherhood stuff in this, by the way. There's something deeper there, but I don't want to get into it right now.