PREVIEW: Dead of Winter (2025 Film) Starring Emma Thompson

Preview by Jon Donnis

Emma Thompson takes centre stage in Dead of Winter, a tense survival thriller arriving in UK and Irish cinemas on 26 September. She plays Barb, a widow still reeling from loss, who sets out on a pilgrimage to scatter her husband's ashes in the icy wilderness of northern Minnesota, the place where their life together first began. What begins as a personal journey of remembrance soon spirals into a fight for survival, as a sudden blizzard leaves her stranded and alone in the snow.

Seeking shelter, Barb discovers a remote cabin that holds a far darker secret than the storm outside. Inside, a young woman is being held captive by a volatile couple, played by Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca. Trapped in the frozen wilds, Barb must face both the immediate threat in front of her and the buried pain within, drawing on memory, love and sheer determination to endure. Dead of Winter blends stark landscapes, psychological tension and raw emotion, promising a gripping cinema experience this autumn.

DEAD OF WINTER, out in UK and Irish cinemas from 26th September

PREVIEW: Dark Summer (2025 Film) - Loyalty, Violence and Survival Collide in a Brutal Urban Thriller

Preview by Jon Donnis

This September, Miracle Media brings Dark Summer to UK digital platforms, a tense and unflinching look at loyalty, betrayal and the unforgiving pull of the streets.

Set in the blistering heat of Houston, the film follows Jarvis, played by Dion Jay, a gifted teenager with a bright future ahead at MIT. That future is suddenly thrown into jeopardy when he is forced into a dangerous drug deal to try and save his dying mother. At his side is Tre, portrayed by Antwan Smith, a suburban friend desperate to prove himself in a world he barely understands. What begins as one desperate decision spirals into a summer of violence, pitting the boys against gang leaders, corrupt police, and merciless cartels.

The bonds of friendship are tested as bullets fly and alliances fracture. With each turn, Jarvis is pushed closer to a line he never thought he would cross, and the sweltering streets become a crucible where survival demands sacrifice.

Directed by Conrad Craven (Black Santa, Bissonnet), Dark Summer mixes the raw energy of a coming-of-age story with the intensity of a gangland thriller. Gritty, character driven and unflinchingly tense, this is a story of young lives caught between possibility and ruin, where every choice carries devastating weight.

Dark Summer arrives on UK digital 1 September from Miracle Media.

Apple TV https://apple.co/4lDxh0U