A Retro-SciFi Comedy: A Review of "Cold Storage"

Since the unsettling onset of 2020, there's been a widely varying degree of success in injecting pandemic humor into films. However, 'Cold Storage', a film adaptation of the 2019 novel by David Koepp, managed to deliver a cheeky joke amidst the doom and gloom. This sci-fi horror comedy, directed by Jonny Campbell, unveils a scenario where a mutating extraterrestrial fungal virus threatens to turn humanity into moldy grenades, having a slightly cheesy retrop feel that resonates with the audience.

Leading the cast are Hollywood names Joe Keery, Georgina Campbell and Liam Neeson. The combined '80s nostalgia, creeping dread, and humor derived from the fear presented in the movie may ring a bell for Stranger Things fans. Rather than being reminiscent of any specific existing property, 'Cold Storage' offers a generic familiarity.

It uses a mix of sci-fi, action-adventure, and thriller elements to keep the audience engaged. The film captures the fallout from a Skylab space station experiment gone wrong, a panic call from a tiny Western Australian Outback town, and a mesmerizing green mold spreading fear and destruction.

This film's eerie tale progresses from small Western Australian town to a Defense Security facility in Kansas, revolving around a microscopic fungal bug that lays dormant and forgotten for decades, only to become active again, maybe due to a major storm.

Joe Keery plays a parolee working the graveyard shift at the facility which is now a self-storage company. The mysterious green virus awakens, causing havoc in his quiet world. Vanessa Redgrave and Liam Neeson make surprising appearances, adding to the film's allure and suspense.

'Cold Storage' brings together the components necessary for an intriguing Earth-in-peril narrative, with Keery and Campbell revealing an infectious blend of urgency and nonchalance in their roles. However, although the film succeeds in producing distinct retro-scifi vibes and occasional laughs, it's not quite enough to make 'Cold Storage' truly memorable. Regardless, this easeful blend of humor and horror can keep viewers thoroughly entertained once it becomes accessible online.