Cold Pursuit (2019), directed by Hans Petter Moland, is not your typical Liam Neeson revenge vehicle. Set in the icy wilderness of Colorado, this remake of the Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance blends brutal violence with dry, offbeat humor and a surprising sense of style.
Neeson plays Nels Coxman, a quiet snowplow driver in a resort town whose son is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Initially told it’s a drug overdose, Nels refuses to believe it—and begins digging for the truth. What he uncovers is a drug cartel run by a cold-blooded, narcissistic kingpin known as Viking (Tom Bateman).
Fueled by grief and quiet rage, Nels methodically works his way up the criminal chain, taking out thugs one by one—often in creative, grimly comedic fashion. Each death is punctuated by an on-screen title card, a strange but oddly poignant touch that turns the body count into something almost ceremonial.
But Cold Pursuit isn’t just a revenge story. It’s a multi-layered dark satire on masculinity, violence, and the absurdity of vengeance itself. The plot detours through side characters, rival gangs, and a web of misunderstandings that gives the film a Coen Brothers–style rhythm.
Neeson gives a restrained, weary performance, far removed from the typical “angry dad” action hero. Instead, he plays a man caught in a cycle of loss and retaliation, wrapped in snow, silence, and blood.
Cold Pursuit is colder and weirder than expected—brutal one moment, absurd the next.
Because in this frozen frontier,
Revenge isn’t about justice.
It’s just about clearing the road.
