For indie movie fans or lovers of powerful thrillers – or both – the name Jeremy Saulnier on a film is always a cause for celebration. It means heart-pounding, riveting stories and a skewed world where nothing is ever quite what it seems. Yet, strangely, he’s nowhere near as big as he should be. So the chance to see Hold The Dark on Netflix is unmissable.
Made for the streamer back in 2018, it’s full of Saulnier’s trademarks but also took him into new territory. A slow-burn wilderness thriller set in Alaska, it boasts a strong cast, with Riley Keogh as the mother of a young boy who disappears and everybody assumes he’s the victim of marauding wolves. She calls in an expert to get her son back. Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) is a man out of his comfort zone in the harsh landscape, quickly becoming aware of its inherent danger. When the boy’s father (Alexander Skarsgard) comes home after military service, he seems to resurrect something sinister in the town that translates into brutal violence.
