We’ve seen Emma Thompson a lot over the years in various types of roles. But it’s fair to say we’ve never seen her quite like we do in the new film Dead of Winter, which opens in theaters Friday. And it’s a performance that helps make the movie.

In the new film, Thompson is Barb. She’s a lonely woman living in the far reaches of Minnesota in the dead of winter. She’s on a mission. She’s headed to do ice fishing at a remote lake because of the connection to her late husband. As she’s on the journey, she thinks of their love story.

But, along the way, she sees a young woman (Laurel Marsden) who is in trouble. She’s being held by a couple (Marc Menchaca and Judy Greer), who seem to want to use her for something nefarious. Without a means of communication, Barb digs in to find a way to help.

As she gets involved in the situation, Barb becomes a target of the young woman’s captors. She becomes desperate to find a way to free the young woman and call for help. All the while, she remembers life with her husband and the events that led to this point in time.

We don’t typically see Thompson in an action-oriented role, but that’s what we get here. This isn’t like a late-stage Liam Neeson shoot‘ em up, but it feels like something different. And yet, Thompson does a nice job in the role. In fact, she’s the best part of the film.

Her character is really the only one with any depth. It’s helped by the flashbacks, which are charming. All of it helps inform who Barb is and why she’s there. And her relentless work to get this woman free is captivating.

It feels like a different kind of role for Greer, too. Rather than the kind character she typically plays, she’s a determined villain here. She has some nice sequences, but her character is too thinly drawn. We don’t even really get a good answer about what she wants from the woman she’s kidnapped, though we can kind of guess by the end.

The film is entertaining to watch and has a nice flow. The setting matches the title, and Thompson’s lead performance is enough to keep you engaged.

Dead of Winter opens in theaters on Friday, September 26.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.