Writer/Director Rob Connolly’s feature directorial debut Edge of Winter is a thrilling view into human nature when tested by extreme situations. Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad) plays Elliot Baker a down on his luck man whose only joy in life is his two estranged sons. When Elliot’s ex-wife drops the boys off for a rare visit with their dad, tensions run high. Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War) plays eldest son Bradley who has a deep seeded resentment of his father and loads of teen angst. Percy Hynes White (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) plays younger son Caleb who has an unconditional love for his father and a perpetual hope for bonding.
Elliot decides to take the boys on a day trip up the mountains for some typical outdoor father/son activities. However, as Elliot’s luck would have it, their afternoon adventure quickly turns into a nightmare. The boys are immediately thrust into adulthood and have to switch gears from apathy to survival mode. For the first time in his life Elliot now has to be the father that his boys need in order for them to make it out of the woods alive. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, with temperatures dropping, the three Baker men have to learn to trust and rely on each other. It’s not long before the emotional cracks begin to tear apart their relationships and Elliot’s sanity teeters on the edge.
One of my favorite television series is The Killing so Joel will always be Holder to me. However, as Elliot, Joel’s sly, sarcastic yet lovable Holder went out the window. We see a different side of Joel in Elliot’s hidden pain and longing for his sons’ love. As Elliot begins to lose his grip on reality, the Joel we are used to dissolves, and instead we see a man who is hurting and desperate to keep his world from imploding. Just when things seem to be at their worst a new threat arrives and Elliot has to decide how far he will go to protect his sons. The real question is who do the boys need protection from?
With a slow burn of tension and dread, Edge of Winter answers your darkest fears and tests your moral code. What would you do if you were stranded in the middle of nowhere, in a winter storm, with no hope for a rescue?
*Edge of Winter is currently playing in theaters and is also available on VOD. Check your local listings.
