Dead of Winter

Struggling actress Katie (Steenburgen) auditions for a part that entails travelling upstate to a rambling country house inhabited by crippled Dr Lewis (Rubes) and his amanuensis (McDowall). She should, however, be less concerned about her acting prospects than about the missing actress she is to replace, Julie Rose. Were she a thriller fan, she'd realise that her life is in danger; after all, she's the pawn in a game reminiscent of Joseph H Lewis' My Name Is Julia Ross. While beautifully shot, admirably old-fashioned (sexual violence and explicit gore are absent), and endowed with pleasing plot twists, the film is too formulaic and offers little opportunity for Penn to display his prodigious talents.