Barb Sorenson’s (Emma Thompson) ice fishing trip is rudely interrupted by a kidnapping, in this survival thriller they should have called Deadliest Catch.

Dead of Winter proudly references Fargo in its polite protagonist and Minnesotan milieu, but tonally this is a different beast. It strips the Coen brothers’ classic to the bone, shedding its quirkiness and comedy until just four characters and the icy wilderness remain. This makes the movie more conventional than its subversive progenitor, but between the clumsy violence and improvised surgery, the Coen-esque pathos makes even the villains into real people who are simply too far-gone.

Cleverly cast against type, Thompson shines as the brave and resourceful Marge Gunderson surrogate, opposite a manic Judy Greer, terrifying as only desperation can be. Neither character has anything left to lose, which makes the situation as precarious as pogoing across a frozen lake. But we are still made to invest in the outcome, with Barb’s simple yet effective backstory raising the emotional stakes and adding character depth in flashbacks placed carefully throughout the action.

Brian Kirk’s bold direction keeps the tension as high as the temperature is low, combined with foreboding cinematography and music to create the chilliest atmosphere outside of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s office. With the 66-year-old icon’s raw performance making up for Dead of Winter‘s more generic elements, this is pulp with a pulse, and the scariest Emma Thompson vehicle since Junior.