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Cold River

Cold River

198294 minPGMidcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Director
Fred G. Sullivan
Starring
Richard Jaeckel, Brad Sullivan, Suzanne Weber, Pat Petersen

Based on the novel Winterkill, by William Judson, Cold River is the story of an Adirondack guide who takes his young daughter and step-son on a long camping trip in the fall of 1932. When winter strikes unexpectedly early (a natural phenomenon known as a 'winterkill' - so named because the animals are totally unprepared for a sudden, early winter, and many freeze or starve to death), a disastrous turn of events leaves the two children to find their own way home without food, or protection from the elements.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Cold River?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Cold River streaming on Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Cold River?

Cold River earns 2 badges, led by Snowed-in watch and Hopeful.

Reception

Is Cold River worth watching?

Cold River's Midcredits score is the 36th percentile of all films, from 218 ratings across 3 sources. 44% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

36th percentile

Better received than 36% of films

43rd percentile among Adventure38th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)29th
Approval (how many liked it)44th

55 /100

29th percentile of all films

33rd percentile among Adventure29th percentile among 1980s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.1 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

44% liked it

44th percentile of all films

52nd percentile among Adventure46th percentile among 1980s
44% rated it 7–1056% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

11th percentile

218 ratings across platforms

5th percentile among Adventure7th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 25% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A wilderness survival tale with beautiful but underused settings, hampered by uneven acting and a slow, episodic structure.

Fans praised

  • gripping survival story with satisfying action
  • strong step-sibling bonding and moral lessons
  • authentic location filming in the Adirondacks

Detractors panned

  • stiff, unconvincing child performances
  • dull, choppy pacing and murky cinematography
  • weak writing with flat reactions and logical gaps

What stands out

CharactersDivisive55

step-siblings bicker and bond, but flat reactions

TensionDivisive55

suspenseful violent encounters, but uneven

Plot and storyDivisive40

survival story episodic, with illogical scene flow

CinematographyDivisive40

lovely but murky, underused Adirondack vistas

ActingDivisive35

kids' performances called lackadaisical and terrible

EndingDivisive35

unsatisfying, barely connected prologue and epilogue

PacingDivisive30

slow as trudging through snow, choppy direction

DialogueDivisive30

dumbed-down, dull writing for young characters

Watch experience

What is Cold River like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseContemplativeHopeful
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its survival story straight with a solemn and brooding tone, emphasizing the harshness of the wilderness.
The rideThe film builds tension after the father dies and the children face starvation and an intruder; the pace is slow but pressured.
StructureThe main survival narrative is told in linear flashback framed by a present-day prologue and epilogue.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe children's survival against overwhelming odds leaves a hopeful sense of resilience and emotional release.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% (this title) · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Survival ordeal: Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).

4% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows two children stranded by an early winter who must survive and find their way home, fitting the survival ordeal subtype of voyage and return.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsSurvivalComing of age · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeAt its heart, the film follows a stepsister and stepbrother who must learn to rely on each other as they face the deadly wilderness.
StanceThe film affirms the bond between the step-siblings and the value of family and perseverance in the face of nature's cruelty.

The world

Early 20th centuryWildernessRuralRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Michael Gibson
SettingAdirondack Mountains, 1932, during a sudden early winter
MusicA conventional orchestral score accompanies the wilderness drama.

Content guide

Is Cold River okay for kids?

PG

Cold River is rated PG. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at intense (67/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (5 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Cold River have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Cold River?

Cast

Richard Jaeckel
as Mike Allison
Brad Sullivan
as Reuban Knat
Suzanne Weber
as Lizzy Allison
Pat Petersen
as Tim Hood
Robert Earl Jones
as The Trapper
Elizabeth Hubbard
as Pauline Hood Allison
Augusta Dabney
as Elizabeth Allison
Adam Petroski
as Seth Bishop
Wade Barnes
as Pompous Senator
David Thomas
as Senate Chairman

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Cold River?

Movies like Cold River include Escape (2012), Grizzly (1976) and River Wild (2023). Of the 6 closest matches, all are survival thrillers and films set in the wilderness.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 6 share its story type: survival ordeal. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Cold River?

770 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: castaway. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.