Cold Storage (2026) Movie Review: A Sporadially Wacky yet Structurally Uneven Throwback To B-Movies

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In fairness to “Cold Storage,” it’s not a film that has any delusions about what it is. It’s fairly obvious from the moment that the Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” is used to underscore the spread of a deadly infectious fungus that Jonny Campbell’s science fiction horror mashup is only interested in being entertaining, and seems to acknowledge that most of its supernatural concepts are somewhat familiar.

In many ways, it’s impressive that Campbell is able to get so much mileage out of what was clearly a lower budget, especially when the ensemble cast is so charismatic. However, “Cold Storage” is also limited by a script that only comes together in its final third, and fills much of its vacuum with dead air.

“Cold Storage” opens with a surprisingly intense opening sequence that details how a returning space mission brought back a deadly mycosis that causes the rapid deterioration and manipulation of living organisms. Although the government manages to cover up the incident before there is any serious outside concern, bioterror operatives Dr. Robert Quinn (Liam Neeson) and Trini Romano (Lesley Manville) remember the situation all too well.

Any evidence of the outbreak has been contained to a private vault within a self-storage system, which is protected only by blue-collar employees Naomi Williams (Georgina Campbell) and Travis Meachum (Joe Keery). However, a malfunction within the security system thrusts Naomi and Travis into a dangerous situation and forces Qunn and Romano to return to their old line of work.

The setup for “Cold Storage” is a compelling one; there are two teams, one composed of experts and the other fronted by novices, and they’re on opposite sides of a race against time. The issue is that “Cold Storage” keeps Quinn and Romano apart for the majority of its runtime, leaving both Neeson and Manville to mostly speak jargon phrases in order to advance the plot.

Alternatively, Naomi and Travis are placed in a position in which they are waiting for something to happen, with the terror escalating at a gradual pace. Although Campbell and Keery are quite charismatic and do have great chemistry together, there’s only so much they can do when the script keeps them boxed in.

Cold Storage (2026) — A still from “Cold Storage” (2026)

“Cold Storage” could really only be loosely described as a horror film, as its brand of splatter, gross-out, and grotesque animals is almost exclusively played as tongue-in-cheek. Creating suspense might not have been a goal, but the film doesn’t have the visual creativity to keep finding rewarding gags. It’s easy to get the point after a few exploding bodies and unsightly animal mutations, especially when the computer-generated imagery is shaky at best.

It’s a case where “Cold Storage” could have used some practical effects to at least make the mayhem more interesting, but the film seems oddly opposed to nostalgia. Although the introduction is set in 1979 and then flashes to 2005, any specific references to popular culture are made to be as vague as possible. While this may have been because advanced digital technology would have collapsed the premise, it does end up making the film feel less committed.

“Cold Storage” is based on a novel by David Koepp, who also wrote the screenplay. Koepp has a legendary track record for writing classic blockbusters like “Jurassic Park,” “Independence Day,” and “Mission: Impossible,” but his recent track record has been more mixed. For every hit (“Black Bag,” “Kimi”), he’ll pen a complete misfire (“Jurassic World: Rebirth,” “Inferno”).

However, the issue with “Cold Storage” may come down to its direction, as the film runs into the issue of having too many characters who aren’t interesting enough to justify the attention being drawn away from the leads. Between Naomi’s boyfriend, Travis’ obnoxious co-workers, and a few corrupt military officials, the supporting cast of “Cold Storage” is padded with painfully dull caricatures, even for a B-movie.

The best thing “Cold Storage” has in its favor is its leads, with Keery and Campbell being the standouts. Two likable, snarky protagonists can do a lot to make a film more rewatchable, and to the credit of “Cold Storage,” there’s a little bit more going on with each of the characters under the surface. Naomi is saddled with responsibilities that she wasn’t quite prepared for, and Travis is in a situation where he wants to attract as little attention as possible.

Although there are some stretches in which their respective backstories are a bit predictable, Naomi and Travis share a series of authentic conversations that don’t feel saccharine. In fact, the dynamic between Keery and Campbell is so strong that it’s easy to imagine a better version of the film that was simply a two-hander.

Manville and Neeson, when utilized well, are quite effective as old grunts whose heroism is only matched by their attitude. Neeson has reached a point in his career where he has become fully aware of his status as a B-movie icon, and Manville is given the chance to have fun after starring in more weighty period dramas.

Although the action in “Cold Storage” isn’t as frequent or memorable as it needed to be, all of the actors bring their A-game to the physicality. Keery, in particular, has a knack for physical comedy that comes to play in the third act, a fact made more impressive when considering that he was likely acting against empty backgrounds.

Although “Cold Storage” is refreshingly devoid of the self-importance that has infected many contemporary genre films, it does feel as if it only hints at ideas that could have been more explored. Between the systematic corruption within the American military, the social inequities faced by former criminals, and the general ambivalences towards environmental danger, “Cold Storage” touches on concepts that aren’t reaped for their potential. Even if the gnarly, pulpy final set piece has some great gags, it only serves as a reprieve from a script that felt padded with superfluous detail.

“Cold Storage” is the odd film that’s most frustrating because of its mediocrity. A slightly sharper script could have resulted in a genuinely fun genre riff, and something a little bit cheesier and irreverent could have been unintentionally incompetent. There’s nothing malicious in “Cold Storage,” and there are a lot worse ways to spend 100 minutes, but its charms wear thin.