The premise behind Cold Storage is delightfully pulpy: what happens when a long-forgotten biological threat escapes the one place designed to keep it contained? The film opens with a fictionalised account of the 1979 crash of the space station Skylab, which brings with it an unexpected and dangerous passenger — a mutated parasitic fungus capable of infecting living organisms and spreading at terrifying speed.
Government operatives Robert Quinn and Trini Romano successfully contain the organism, sealing it inside a specialised vault within a secret facility in Kansas run by the Defence Threat Reduction Agency. The fungus is placed in cryogenic containment, effectively locked away from the world.
Fast-forward eighteen years and the once-secret government building has long since been abandoned, sold off and repurposed as a mundane self-storage facility. Its deadly secret remains hidden within the walls, largely forgotten by the authorities who once safeguarded it.
Working the quiet night shift are Travis “Teacake”, a parolee trying to stay out of trouble, and Naomi, a struggling single mum doing what she can to keep her life together. When the pair hear a strange rhythmic beeping echoing through the building’s structure, their curiosity leads them to investigate — and accidentally uncover the long-neglected containment vault.
With rising temperatures and failing infrastructure allowing the fungus to awaken, the organism begins spreading through the building and surrounding wildlife. Soon, the facility becomes ground zero for a rapidly escalating outbreak.
Alerted to the breach, former containment specialist Quinn rushes to Kansas to deal with the situation before it spirals into a full-blown disaster. What follows is a frantic race against time as Quinn, Teacake and Naomi attempt to contain an invisible and relentlessly growing threat before it escapes into the wider world.
Cast and Crew
Director Jonny Campbell approaches the material with a clear appreciation for genre cinema, leaning into the story’s B-movie DNA while keeping the performances grounded enough to sell the stakes.
The screenplay comes from David Koepp, who adapted the film from his own novel after originally conceiving the idea as a movie. Koepp’s career spans everything from blockbuster thrillers to pulpy sci-fi, and that experience shows in a script that balances high-concept horror with moments of dark humour.
Leading the cast are Joe Keery as the scrappy and slightly overwhelmed Travis “Teacake” and Georgina Campbell as Naomi, whose practical instincts help ground the increasingly chaotic situation.
Meanwhile Liam Neeson plays Robert Quinn, a veteran bioterrorism agent who returns to deal with a threat he thought had been permanently neutralised. Supporting turns from Lesley Manville, Sosie Bacon, and the legendary Vanessa Redgrave round out a cast that clearly understands the film’s slightly absurd tone.
Review
If Cold Storage proves anything, it’s that sometimes a simple premise — executed with confidence — is more than enough to carry a film.
This is unapologetically a B-movie creature feature, but one that knows exactly what it is. The film walks a delicate tonal tightrope between horror and comedy, blending body horror with moments of dry humour and outright absurdity. Think outbreak thriller meets splattery monster movie, with just enough camp to keep things lively.
The film’s biggest strength lies in its cast. Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell make for an engaging central duo, bringing charm and personality to characters who could easily have been generic genre archetypes. Their chemistry helps anchor the film’s more outlandish moments, particularly when confronted with increasingly grotesque fungal horrors.
Then there’s Liam Neeson, who appears to be having an absolute blast playing the straight-faced action veteran thrown into an increasingly ridiculous scenario. His complete commitment to the seriousness of the mission creates some of the film’s funniest moments without ever turning the character into a parody.
Visually, the film delivers a pleasing mixture of practical gore effects and digital work. The spreading fungus itself is often unsettling, producing some enjoyably grotesque imagery as it infects animals and humans alike. Not every effect lands perfectly — one particular CGI creature moment stands out for the wrong reasons — but overall the creature work is effective and suitably disgusting.
Tonally, the film occasionally feels like it’s holding itself back. There are moments where it seems poised to embrace full-blown cult-movie madness in the vein of Return of the Living Dead, only to pull back into safer territory. Had it pushed further into that chaotic energy, it might have elevated itself from entertaining genre fare into something genuinely memorable.
Pacing is another slight issue. The film rarely slows down, which keeps the action moving briskly but occasionally makes the final stretch feel a little rushed. At times it feels as though the story is sprinting towards the finish line without allowing enough space for tension to fully build.
Still, these are relatively minor quibbles. What Cold Storage lacks in originality it makes up for in sheer entertainment value. This is the kind of film that doesn’t demand deep analysis or narrative scrutiny. Instead, it offers an enjoyable mix of explosions, gooey horror, and dark humour.
Sometimes that’s exactly what you want from a trip to the cinema.
Verdict
Cold Storage may not reinvent the horror-comedy formula, but it delivers enough infectious energy, likeable characters and splattery fun to make for an entertaining ride. With a cast that clearly understands the assignment and a premise that embraces its B-movie roots, it’s an easy film to enjoy — just don’t think about it too hard.
Rating
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
A gooey, tongue-in-cheek creature feature that delivers solid genre thrills, even if it never quite mutates into something truly unforgettable.
