It starts as a super-economical thriller focused on its one story with authenticity & specificity. However, as the story unfolds, questions begin to arise that make it harder & harder to fully engage. Why are these three guys such fast friends? How do certain characters become such hardened killers so easily? Why do some of these guys act super naturalistic while others are awkwardly acting like d-level Coen characters (I'm looking at you, Johnson)?

Sure there are several plot loose ends hanging uncomfortably. Sure "Cold in July" seems like two separate films pieced together. The fact is that both halves have good entertainment value. The first half is tense, while the second half is quite bloody. Ultimately this is a tale of revenge, and like "Death Wish", the transformation from the meek to the mighty is not always a comfortable one. Acting is strong, and the story is far from predictable. I could immediately watch this again, it's that entertaining. "Cold in July" is what good independent film looks like, and I highly recommend seeking this one out. In my DVD collection, "Cold in July" is a definite keeper. ......... - MERK

I'm glad I watched it, but if I had missed it, I would have not worried much. Anyway, you can't say like that until you watch any movie. This movie was excellent, I mean it for the first 40-45 minutes. So much twist and thrills, I was almost regretting for almost missing it. But once the character Jim Bob Luke was introduced in a grand style, the narration went off the track.The best parts were over, I got lost interest, and I asked myself why it has to be like this after a wonderful opening? Especially for the character Dane who was a family man and his choice was completely wrong. As mush as Dane, I wanted to know who he shot, but that was not the story's intention to reveal and went in a different direction to disappoint me.The guys (actors) were awesome, but the writing was a let down, it owes lots of explanation rather telling a decent story. It was an indie crime-thriller based on the novel of the same name, sets in the 1980s. I won't say the film was bad, but I enjoyed only the half movie, the first half.6/10

From an Indie-Director to Keep Watching, Jim Mickle, this Neo-Noir has Found its Place in the Pulp Fiction World that is Forever Fascinating and Continues to add to the Legacy.It's a Film that Manages all the Ingredients that make these Type of Things Thrilling Entertainment. It's a Cold and Dark World out there and it has a way of Influencing Folks in Bizarre Ways and it is Nature's Evil in Full Display.Stylish, Foreboding, and Unsettling the Noir World has Intruded into the Life of an Unassuming Nice-Guy whose World View is Spiraling Out of its Orbit and Michael C. Hall is going Along for the Ride and seems Fascinated Although Frightened by it all. It doesn't get anymore Vile than the Things that these Dixie Mafia Types are doing and that Justifies the Protagonists Taking Action. Don Johnson makes His Mark as a Private Detective with Style to Burn and Sam Shepard is a Career Criminal with a Haunting and Cold-Blooded Psychology that's a Scare to Behold.Reminds Somewhat of John Dahl's Red-Rock West (1993), but its Familiar Homages Don't Stop there. It's Fun Finding Them out if You are a Fan of Neo-Noir, B- Movies, and Off-Beat Crime Thrillers.