Parents' Guide to Jericho Ridge

Amuka-Bird's grounded, realistic performance is a triumph from start to finish in this tight action-thriller. While other characters come and go in Jericho Ridge, and there's a touching subplot involving her relationship with her son (Zack Morris), at its core the movie is about one woman trapped in one location and challenged to survive. There's an eerie claustrophobia to the setting inside Clay Country Sheriff's Office, where fluorescent lights fall from the ceiling and hang, flashing a disorienting glare. The outside world is mostly experienced via dashcam or glimpses from windows and doorways. In the open air, snow is captured beautifully, falling against the night sky, representing a peace awaiting the end of the ordeal, as well as the slow passage of time. When a phone operator reports the state police 29 minutes away, the action unfolds pretty much in real time, but those 29 minutes never feel either stretched out or rushed, just inevitable. It's easy to root for Amuka-Bird's Deputy Temple. She's strong and resourceful, and even moments of emotional release are natural and never overplayed. She has impressive material to work with too, with writer Will Gilbey (Rise of the Footsoldier) taking a seat in the director's chair for his first feature film. With Gilbey behind the script and also at the helm, everything comes together with great skill and style. That the atmosphere is reminiscent of John Carpenter is likely no coincidence -- the film certainly borrows from Assault on Precinct 13 -- but it also has its own look and feel that sets it apart, making it a strong, thoroughly enjoyable entry into the genre.