The new horror comedy Cold Storage is familiar, but it’s done so well that the film flies by on its deadpan, ominous charms. It is a throwback to 1990s movies like Men in Black, The Faculty, and Tremors. The film excels thanks to its cast and blends tension, comic relief, and surprising depth. In fact, this horror-comedy joyride is one of the year’s most pleasant surprises, having already produced Send Help, Solo Mio, and the upcoming Crime 101.
Sure, Cold Storage carries on the tradition of post-prestige December programming that many love: pure B-movie bliss. Lord knows Liam Neeson has made a cottage industry out of those pictures over the past few years. However, here, he’s finally found a film, his best since Taken, that embraces a delightful, light comic touch. It sprinkles that touch over familiar horror-thriller hallmarks.
The story follows a group of people trying to save the world from a rapidly mutating microorganism that takes over a human host with extraordinary speed. The unknown threat first fell from the sky after attaching itself to a NASA satellite. Then, when it hit the ground with a big old splat, it began to kill the few hundred in a desolate hamlet in the middle of the Southwest.
After officials began ignoring residents’ calls, a scientific and military team secured the parasitic fungus. The man who helped secure the mean, green, brain-controlling, body-popping substance, Robert Quinn (Liam Neeson), had it shipped to a super-secret government facility. Quinn locked it in cold storage and threw away the key. As a result, he walked away believing he was protecting the American people. He then forgot about it for decades.
Fast forward, and the facility was sealed off and became an afterthought. A storage unit was built around it, perhaps as a front, because it is in the middle of nowhere. Cue Travis “Teacake” Meacham (Stranger Things alum Joe Keery), a young man on work release from prison. Travis shows up for his shift. He also meets Naomi (Barbarian’s Georgina Campbell) on her first day on the job.
They begin to hear a beeping behind a few sheets of drywall that will change their lives forever. Why? As the temperature rises, the machinery fails, allowing the sealed freezer bag of alien Jell-O to escape. In addition, add a stalking, jealous boyfriend, a wicked feline, and a woman still suffering immense grief over her late husband’s death. There is also a by-the-book tyrant. Altogether, you have a thrilling horror-comedy filled with clichés, but good ones at that.
Cold Storage is from Jonny Campbell, the director’s second feature; his first film, Alien Autopsy, came out all the way back in 2006. Based on the novel of the same name, legendary big-budget scribe for several Steven Spielberg films, David Koepp, adapted it. Sure, you may see better films in the genre, and you’ll inevitably want to compare it to others. The film may not fully stand on its own without its predecessors, but it still delivers.
Cold Storage’s talent knows exactly what it’s supposed to be: a quick shot of dark-comedy thrills, riding on the likability and chemistry between Keery, Campbell, and Neeson. There are a few repulsive scenes that may take you out of the experience. For instance, I could live without ever seeing a green, slimy rat king. However, Koepp’s script offers some clever satirization, tackling scientific hubris, careerism, arrogance, and blind authority.
While those elements are subtle, make no mistake: the film is a lot of fun. This bleakly comic, thrilling flight of fungi knows exactly how ridiculous the movie is. Cold Storage knows exactly what it’s supposed to be.
Cold Storage will debut exclusively in theaters on February 13, 2026, courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Cold Storage is a horror-comedy joyride that is pure B-movie bliss.
I am a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. However, I still put on my pants one leg at a time, and that’s when I often stumble over. When I’m not writing about movies, I patiently wait for the next Pearl Jam album and pass the time by scratching my wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. I was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs, but I chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find my work on InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Hidden Remote, Music City Drive-In, Nerd Alert, and Film Focus Online.
