‘Dead of Winter’ Review: Emma Thompson Kicks Butt So Hard It Explodes

Emma Thompson doesn’t kick enough butt. Actually, let me clarify that: Emma Thompson kicks a lot of butt, but it would be nice if she got to do it literally, and more often. Brian Kirk’s nail-biting thriller “Dead of Winter” gives the Oscar-winning star this rare opportunity, and she kicks that butt so hard it explodes.

But you won’t find any ironic detachment or “John Wick” fight choreography in “Dead of Winter.” Instead, Thompson plays a kind, quiet Minnesotan named Barb who just wanted to go ice fishing. Instead she stumbles onto a kidnapping plot, perpetrated by [checks IMDb] “Purple Lady” and “Camo Jacket,” played by Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca.