By Becca Johnson August 26, 2024
Directed by Cutter Hodierne (Fishing Without Nets) and starring Raul Castillo (Knives Out), Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station) and Josh Brener (The Internship), crime thriller 'Cold Wallet' is one of FrightFest’s mostly highly anticipated flicks due to its promising cast and intriguing premise. The film follows a team of ‘Redditors’ who lose everything after a cryptocurrency scam leads them to plot to kidnap the financial influencer who screwed them over. When the home invasion takes a turn for the worst, they become victims in a sadistic game.
'Cold Wallet' boasts a competent cast, swift run-time and interesting premise, yet its lack of depth and character development prevents it from being truly memorable.
Review
As expected, the cast are absolutely fantastic and easily the films best asset. Raul Castillo is wonderful in the leading role, playing a character desperate to make some money in order to better his life for his daughter. Castillo consistently delivers great work in the action, crime and thriller genres, with 'Cold Wallet' being no exception. Josh Brener is equally good and quite often a scene-stealer in his role as the financial influencer who is being held hostage in his own home. He is manipulative and menacing, making for a fun modern-aged villain. It’s also fun to see Melonie Diaz back on the big screen and Tony Cavalero (The Dirt) is highly entertaining. The star power on display here is some of the festivals best, and certainly meets expectations.
Unfortunately, the issue is not with the acting but with the characters. Every character, leads included, are extremely under explored and don’t receive proper development. This renders any attempt at weight and emotion unsuccessful, as we’re not given enough backstory to help us root for them, leaving the audience detached. We get a snapshot of Castillo’s character Billy’s home life and relationship with his daughter, but not near enough, and as far as the other characters are concerned, we see even less.
'Cold Wallet's' script, written by John Hibey, opts for a succinct, simple premise, which aids the story in not becoming too convoluted or full of internet jargon. It’s easy to follow and understand, even if it’s your first dabble into the world of cryptocurrency. The run-time is kept short at just 84 minutes and absolutely flies by, with the main bulk of the story kicking into gear pretty quickly. A fast pace and a simple story is a recipe for success, as 'Cold Wallet' remains a highly intriguing watch throughout the entire run-time. Despite this straightforward approach, 'Cold Wallet' still allows the audience to ponder, and leaves us with some interesting discourse and plenty of questions surrounding the ethics of the characters actions. The team behind 'Cold Wallet' are tackling an impactful, serious story yet apply quite a playful nature to it, which ensures the genres are blended nicely and it never feels too ham-fisted. It’s got enough commentary in here to have something to say, particularly on capitalism, but it also has fun with it, ensuring the audience do, too. It isn’t necessarily the most shocking thriller, nor is it full of twists, turns and excitement, but it’s a steady viewing that is as enjoyable as it is predictable. Due to the down to earth approach, the lack of shock-factor works.
What stops 'Cold Wallet' reaching the highest of heights is unfortunately its lack of development. We have a really exciting story here, that offers a fun addition to the sub-genre alongside the likes of 'Dumb Money' (2023) and has plenty of likable features. The direction provided by Hodierne is fab, the technical aspects are all on point with great production value, and the performances are all top notch, particularly from Josh Brener. The Christmas setting is rather fun, and the snowy landscape allows for 'Cold Wallet' to be rewatchable within the colder months. It’s a shame the characters are so under explored, as with the proper care, time, attention and a story behind them all, much more emotional weight and stakes could’ve been added to the movie. 'Cold Wallet' is good, but further development could’ve made it great.
Star Rating
'Cold Wallet' premiered at FrightFest London 2024 August 26
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