A woman and her dog are on the frozen highway to Hell in the trailer for the new thrillerCold Road. The feature debut of directorKelvin Redvers, the film features an Indigenous cast and crew.Roseanne Supernault(Acting Good) stars as Tracy, who braves a barren stretch of highway accompanied only by her dog Pretzel en route to her dying mother’s bedside. Along the way, in a scenario straight out ofSteven Spielberg’s debut featureDuel, she runs afoul of a mysterious trucker who hunts her across the desolate tundra. Unable to retreat, Tracy has to summon all her courage and fight back. Says Redvers, “Cold Roadis the answer to so many of the questions raised in the wake ofKillers of the Flower Moon. This is a film produced, written and directed by an Indigenous director, with Indigenous leads, about an Indigenous story – and it was made for a mainstream audience.”
Redvers, who wrote and directedCold Road, made headlines in Canada last year, when he was turned away from a Cannes red-carpet gala to celebrate the release of fellow CanadianDavid Cronenberg’sCrimes of the Future, due to his pairing of traditional handmade moccasins with his tuxedo; he was subsequently allowed into the gala when Canadian financing body Telefilm Canada intervened. Audiences in select Canadian cities will be able toseeCold Roadwhen it hits the big screen on January 26; everyone else will have to wait for March 5, when the film will be available to rent or own digitally.
What Other Movies Have Come From the Canadian Indigenous Community?
2001’sAtanarjuat: The Fast Runnerwas a milestone accomplishment; it was the first ever feature film to be written, directed, and acted entirely in the Inuktitut language. It won the Camera d’Or at Cannes for best debut feature, won six Genie Awards (Canada’s equivalent of the Oscars), and grossed $5 million USD worldwide on a budget of less than $2 million. The 2009 documentaryReel Injuntakes a searing look at Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans on celluloid, especially in the western genre. 2013’sRhymes for Young Ghoulsexamines Canada’s shameful history of residential schools, which took Indigenous children away from their homes and cultures. 2022’sSlash/Backtakes on the sci-fi genre, pitting the residents of a remote Nunavut community against marauding aliens. Canada has also produced a number of acclaimed Indigenous actors, includingJay Silverheels,Chief Dan George,Graham Greene,Tantoo Cardinal,Devery Jacobs, andAdam Beach.
Cold Roadwill premiere in select Canadian theaters January 26, and will be available to rent or purchase digitally on March 5. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch the trailer forCold Roadbelow.
