‘Cold Blows The Wind’ Review – A Night Of Unrest Full Of Twists And Wild Turns

A birthday getaway turns into a night of unrest for a married couple in Cold Blows The Wind. The movie is a twisted, inappropriately comical, vexing, and menacing journey that constantly questions reality. It attempts to be a thriller with a hint of zombies or resurrected humans. As the body count rises, it transforms into a night of the living dead. The tone, while aiming for seriousness, often veers into camp with over-the-top performances. The film is a fun, wild ride that veers off in many directions without an overall focus.

Watching Cold Blows The Wind, I saw similarities to a favorite movie where a curse infects characters that pass from one host to the next. In this aspect, the movie feels inspired from It Follows. However, Cold Blows The Wind manages to put a unique spin on the possession narrative, adding a cool and icky perspective. The only challenge is the flimsy nature of the script. Despite this, the actors Victoria Vertuga, Danell Leyva, Jamie Bernadette, and Torrey B. Lawrence all deliver wonderfully hammy performances. 

The movie begins with husband and wife Dean and Tasha (Leyva and Vertuga, respectively) driving home. Dean, who is intoxicated, hits a jogger and leaves him critically wounded. Rather than call for help, the two choose to bury the body at their remote cabin in the woods. Tension mounts between the two, and they start to turn on each other. This is enough problems for one night, except a mysterious stranger called Briar (Bernadette) pays them a visit. Initially, she appears harmless, but when she reveals that she knows about the buried body, Dean and Tasha’s stormy night becomes a nightmare. 

The movie initially sets the stage with pre-existing tensions between Dean and Tasha, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks with their own imaginations. It starts as a thriller, with a character like Briar giving off an I Know What You Did Last Summer vibe. However, these thoughts are short-lived as the film takes a turn, incorporating elements of a curse similar to It Follows. The movie is I Know What You Did Last Summer meets It Follows. 

As noted earlier, the script could be better, and much of the dialogue is heavy-handed. However, the performances, which are purposely over-the-top, give the film a twisted comedic edge, making the experience enjoyable. The sudden right and left turns in the story are jarring. Sometimes, the twists pop out of nowhere, but we roll with the punches because the zaniness is too good to ignore. 

Cold Blows The Wind becomes an exercise in poor choice for our characters. It is driving drunk, burying a body, and acting on the demonic commands of a stranger. It is sometimes difficult to label this one strictly as a horror movie. There are a bunch of themes and ideas, sometimes existing all at once. There is a subtle commentary on marriage and love. The relationship between Tasha and Dean is rocky throughout the story. They exist as an avatar for people who love each other but are not in love. There is a partial setup for a further exploration of this universe in another film. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but there is enough material both in the exposition and the wild ending.

Ultimately, Cold Blows The Wind is a semi-suspenseful ride with pockets of pure menace that will make even the most steel-gutted viewers sit on the edge of their seats. There are plenty of aims, but mainly, the film has fun with itself. Mystery and enjoyment take precedence in this crafty if not always clever, movie.

Cold Blows The Wind is currently available on VOD courtesy of Lion Heart Distribution.