Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Poorly told sci-fi horror film has tons of gross scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Cold Storage
What's the Story?
COLD STORAGE follows Travis, aka Teacake (Joe Keery), a formerly incarcerated guy who's trying to live on the right side of the law as a self-storage facility employee. Then he and his new co-worker Naomi (Georgina Campbell) discover that their place of work is built on top of a top-secret government base that houses a deadly fungus. When the fungus gets out, Teacake and Naomi team up with government agents Robert Quinn (Liam Neeson) and Trini Romano (Lesley Manville) to prevent it from destroying humanity.
Is It Any Good?
This dark comedy offers some slapstick fun if you like gory, messy horror—including projectile vomiting, body splatter, and bloody explosions. But beyond that potential thrill, Cold Storage is quite uneven, with herky-jerky pacing and poor characterization. Many times, it feels like two different movies are happening: one, an action thriller in which Neeson is perfecting his "special set of skills" stereotype, and two, an immature "zomcom."
The biggest misstep in terms of the characters is having Campbell's Naomi play second fiddle to Keery's Teacake. Naomi is far more competent and scientific-minded than Teacake, who doesn't keep a level head under pressure and acts like comic relief. But she's clearly still intended to fulfill a limiting "love interest" cliché. Overall, while Cold Storage might have some crowd-thrilling gross-out moments, the story could have used some work.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about courage. How do the characters in Cold Storage exhibit courage when battling the fungus? Why is that an important character strength?
How is the impact of the movie's violent and gross scenes affected by its often comedic tone?
Why does Teacake want to change his life? Do you consider any of the characters role models? Why, or why not?
Who is positioned as the movie's main character? Do you agree with that take? How is Naomi treated in the film?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 13, 2026
- On DVD or streaming : March 6, 2026
- Cast : Joe Keery , Georgina Campbell , Liam Neeson , Lesley Manville
- Director : Jonny Campbell
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Samuel Goldwyn Films , StudioCanal
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violent content, gore and language
- Last updated : February 24, 2026
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