Cold Storage
Comedy
Review: ‘Cold Storage’ is a Fun and Action-Packed Zombie Comedy that Breathes Welcome Life into the Stagnating Horror Sub-Genre
February 13, 2026Ben MK
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One of the most overdone sub-genres in horror, zombie films and TV shows have given audiences almost every conceivable version of the undead brain-eaters over the years. Whether it's the shambling creatures of The Walking Dead or the fast-moving ghouls of Resident Evil, viewers might like feel they've reached the point of fatigue, especially when it comes to the many ways Hollywood has tried to reimagine the genre. With Cold Storage, however, director Jonny Campbell is hoping that moviegoers' appetite for zombie thrillers has remained just as insatiable as these classic movie monsters' craving for gray matter, in this cheeky tale about a grizzled army veteran and the two minimum-wage security guards who must stop a deadly parasite from infecting the entire world. The setting is present-day Kansas, and Travis (Joe Keery) is a prison parolee who's been working the graveyard shift at Atchison Self-Storage. Tasked with keeping a watchful eye over the premises while his sleazy boss, Griffin (Gavin Spokes), uses one of the storage lockers to run his own underground criminal enterprise, Travis has been doing his best to keep himself from going insane from boredom. Little does he realize, though, that his night is about to get significantly more exciting, when a mutant fungus that the U.S. government's Defense Threat Reduction Agency has been storing four sub-levels down in a long-forgotten laboratory begins to escape and infect everything in its path. Unleashed when NASA's Skylab space station crashed to Earth in 1979, this scientific experiment gone awry has been waiting 18 long years for an opportunity to spread itself to every living organism on the planet. Unfortunately for this sentient parasite, it didn't count on the tenacity of Travis or his new co-worker, Naomi (Georgina Campbell), who, along with retired DTRA Major Robert Quinn (Liam Neeson), find themselves the only people that stand between this deadly fungus and the extinction of all humankind. Armed only with their wits and a handful of automatic weapons — not to mention a suitcase-sized nuclear bomb — this unlikely trio must contend with everything from zombie wildlife to zombified versions of Naomi's ex (Aaron Heffernan) and Griffin's crew of motorcycle-riding associates. But even if they are able to survive the night without getting infected themselves, will they be able to outsmart this highly adaptive mutant organism and wipe every trace of it from the surrounding area? The only person left at the DTRA who actually appreciates how dangerous this parasitic adversary is, Robert must rely on a little help from his former DTRA colleague, Trini Romano (Lesley Manville), as well as a DTRA soldier named Abigail (Ellora Torchia), as they try to keep their mission a secret from the U.S. Army General in charge (Richard Brake). Luckily for them, they'll also manage to find some unexpected aid from an elderly Atchison Storage customer named Mrs. Rooney (Vanessa Redgrave), who just happens to be taking a nap with a handgun in her storage locker when the chaos unfolds. Based on the book by Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, who also wrote the screenplay for this adaptation, the result is a gleefully gory and frightfully fun horror thrill ride filled with plenty of exploding heads, torsos and other body parts, with no shortage of scream-worthy jump scares and tongue-in-cheek quips that help to keep the tone of this zombie action comedy light and enjoyable. What really helps Cold Storage stand out among the plethora of other films that have contributed to the oversaturation of the genre, however, is the caliber of its cast. From Keery, who's best known as Steve Harrington on Stranger Things, to Neeson, who most recently proved his comedic chops on the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun, as well as Redgrave, a screen legend with well over 100 roles to her credit, the casting definitely helps elevate this above the usual B-movie fare. Make no mistake, viewers may not necessarily be surprised by the various twists and turns this film takes, as the plot winds its way to its explosive finale. Still, despite being somewhat formulaic and predictable, there's something to be said for a movie that isn't afraid to embrace the inherent silliness of its own premise, and to use its self-awareness of the genre to its own advantage. After all, those who consider themselves horror fans have seen this kind of storyline unfold on screen time and time again. But as the old saying goes, it's the journey that matters, not the destination; and with Cold Storage, it's most certainly a fun journey indeed. Cold Storage releases February 13th, 2026 from Samuel Goldwyn Films. The film has an MPAA rating of R for violent content, gore and language. Its runtime is 1 hr. 39 min. |
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