Cold Comes the Night

Director: Tze Chun (2013)
Starring: Alice Eve, Bryan Cranston, Logan Marshall-Green
Find it: IMDB

On the run from dogged DEA brother-in-law Hank and whining wife Skyler, Walter White (Cranston) holes up in a seedy motel run by unfortunate single mum Chloe (Eve). When partner in crime Jesse is shot dead during an altercation with a floozy, poor Walt - whose cancer has now apparently spread to his eyes - must call upon Chloe to recover his missing money. Or, you know, something along those lines.

Cold Comes the Night will attract many a Breaking Bad fan seeking their next fix. Starring Heisenberg/Malcolm's Dad himself - Cranston - as a grizzled, disabled antihero, it should be the perfect Breaking Bad substitute. Except it isn't, though. Just as many a meth chef came to learn that there's no comparison when it comes to Walt's really good blue stuff, so Cold Comes the Night fails to live up to the standards set by the  Best Television in Years.

It's earnest and hardworking, but this gloomy thriller is simply too predictable and dull. Cranston and Eve give good performances as the gruff gangster and the stressed working mom, but neither can elevate the material to a level worth seeking out. Some Coen Brothers humour would have done wonders for the film; anything to detract from its predictable story and complete lack of dynamism.

It looks as though the search continues for my post Breaking Bad fix. Day or night, this one just left me feeling cold.