Edge of Winter Trailer (2016)

Trailer for Edge of Winter, starring Joel Kinnaman and Tom Holland.

Recently divorced and laid off from his job, Elliot Baker (Joel Kinnaman, Suicide Squad) is desperate to spend more time bonding with his sons, Bradley (Tom Holland, Captain America: Civil War) and Caleb (Percy Hynes White). What starts as family day trip to teach his boys how to shoot turns into a nightmare when they become stranded. As they retreat to a desolate cabin, Elliot's mounting fear of losing custody pushes him to the edge. The brothers quickly realize that the man responsible for keeping them safe has now become their biggest threat.

The production was filmed under the working titled Backcountry and we can't help but think that maybe the first choice of name was the better of the two.

If you are a fan of six degrees of separation, you could easily link a Marvel adaptation to a DC one. Need a hint?

The winter wilderness always makes for a good thriller, and the trailer for Edge of Winter showcases much of the same, but it also throws in a father whose life seems to be a bit more er, on edge. Add in the fact that this same father makes sure that they have no way to communicate to civilization, and you can see where this is heading. Of course--Something has to happen to the vehicle, trapping the father with his two estranged sons in the woods, leaving them to experience a bit of cabin fever amongst two strangers with unknown intentions (and backstory).

A film is always a tough sell when your protagonist is unlikeable, which seems the case in Edge of Winter, and the sons come across as deserving of whatever ills befall them. But maybe I'm just held up on the setup, one that feels a bit too contrived, which could open up to a stronger follow through. Either way, it seems fairly evident on why this thriller landed the dreaded August release window.