Melissa (Leet) discovers her boyfriend Daric (Keeslar) cheated on her so she joins a play in a small Tennessee town to get away. On the way there she has a brutal car accident and is found on the side of the road by Clive (Searcy). Clive is a mentally challenged man who lives in a shack by himself in the woods. Seeing Melissa as a gift from God for his extreme loneliness, Clive takes her up to the shack and begins a relationship with her, mostly in his mind. Melissa's sister Cathy (Carter) takes a guilt ridden Daric with her to the town to discover what happened to her sister. Director Tony Elwood working from a script by himself and Mark Kimray steers Cold Storage in several different directions. It's hard at first to tell if Melissa is seriously injured from the crash of out right dead. Soon you realize she is dead and Clive is moving around a corpse which is creepy in itself. Clive is so delusional and his loneliness so fierce, he is just thrilled to have another body with him. This is when this movie is at its best. Elwood makes Clive sympathetic even though his outward appearance his gross and you actually feel his loneliness. As mentioned, Elwood takes the story down different paths including dark and intentional humor which doesn't always work. There is a lecherous neighbor named Luther Spoole (Brett Gentile) that is stupid and unwanted. The movie never really picks up momentum. It just runs along until the end confrontation with Clive and the sister and boyfriend. There isn't much horror or suspense in the film until the very end when Cathy is captured briefly. Credit must be given to Tony Elwood for resisting the urge to turn this into low grade torture porn. Nick Searcy is strong and believable in the lead role of Clive. Unfortunately 'Cold Storage' doesn't move the meter in the horror department and may have worked better as a twisted drama.

We have always noticed Mr. Searcy, and love him in Justified. But this movie is the absolute best performance lately by anyone in any genre. The story was presented beautifully for a horror movie, and kept us guessing. Loved the townspeople, who performed outside the normal stereotype of southern hicks. Cannot believe that a movie released years ago we finally see on cable, and it is fantabulous! For any true horror movie fan - who loves everything from the 1930's to now, serious and campy, this is one of the best movies ever. Not even sure you can call it horror, more thriller and suspense. The most horrible part of the movie, we agree with another reviewer, is the Sheriff sucking eggs through a straw! A masterful creation by writers, directors, cast, and crew. You should all be very proud of this production!!!

I'm not sure exactly what genre this film belongs to, but it's pretty effective at giving one the "creeps." (Is it a slasher film? Psychological horror? Action-thriller?) The basic scenario (treating someone who is dead as if they are still living, including trying to feed them and conversing with them) has been done hundreds of times, but "Cold Storage" gives us an above-average take on it.I have to give the director a WIN for one aspect of the film and a big FAIL for another.*****SPOILER***** The WIN is for the smooth transition between life and death for the victim. She's clearly alive when taken captive, but she's clearly dead within 24 hours or so. When did she die? Could she have survived with proper medical attention? The director treats this with little regard, as it's really not important to the story. And he's right.The FAIL is for the victim clearly moving after she is dead. In numerous scenes, the head bobs slightly and the hair moves. Now, if it's an actress in those scenes, I think they could have done a better job of keeping her still, as she's a bit of a distraction. If it's not an actress, they should have stabilized it to prevent unintentional movement. I might even consider that the director is trying to make us uneasy by suggesting that she may not actually be dead, or that the weird guy thinks she is moving, but I suspect that this is a bit too subtle.*****END SPOILERS***** A worthwhile movie for most horror fans.

I saw this film at it's premiere and found it to be different from any movie I've ever seen. There were no car load of teenagers running from anyone in a mask. There was no hero with the goofy sidekick and there was no plot that I could predict. Very refreshing!! BUT...this is an odd movie and may not appeal to all. It's a dark story that takes place in a remote area of the mountains, yet, not so remote that it reminds you of "Hill have Eyes" or other films that occurs in the middle of nowhere. It just carries the implication that strange things can happen right under our noses, just around the corner, or a couple miles away. One minute the film has you in the safety of town, the next minute, you're locked in a cellar. The protagonist, though you won't forgive his actions, will actually gain your pity. I commend the writer-director for having the balls to put something like this to screen. It involves a subject that other films wouldn't dare touch. That alone takes brass. The film is well made and is shot in great locations. Nick Searcy is absolutely brilliant in the role of the simple minded mountain man. Anyone seeing him in the sitcom "Rodney" will not believe their eyes. Jeff Pillars was my favorite as Sheriff Bullock. Great job on a very interesting story. You won't forget this movie!!