Writer/director Billy Hanson‘s Bone Cold has some weight and depth to it that pushes it beyond a B-movie creature feature or a bullet-riddled action flick. The film follows two Black Ops on a mission in Eastern Ukraine, along the Russian border. It’s there where they encounter a gnarly creature in the woods, along with enemy snipers. But the film’s real high point is the way that it explores the protagonist’s PTSD and guilt. This gives the film a type of nuance that makes it engaging and very human.

The film opens just as the Black Ops complete a mission in Afghanistan and kill their target. The leading man, Jon Bryant (Jonathan Stoddard), is looking forward to finally heading home, and so’s his best friend and fellow sniper, Marco (Matt Munroe). Once home, Jon avoids talking about his job with his wife Mel (Jennifer Khoe) and their daughter Wendy (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss). These early scenes in the domestic space are some of the most interesting, as we witness the torment and anguish Jon experiences, haunted by the mission in Afghanistan and the fact his team killed a man.

Jon and Marco aren’t given much reprieve for long, however. They’re soon called away to eastern Ukraine to deal with Russian separatist activity. They accidently kill a civilian, which then pins them under enemy fire. They’ve also met their match at the hands of a female sniper, played by Elise Greene. These scenes among the snipers are intense and thrilling, coupled with the fact a mysterious creature stalks the woods. The monster is rarely seen but often heard through its ear-piercing shrieks and howls. It’s a shadowy and nasty being that often appears out of nowhere. It’s unclear if the beast actually exists or if it’s a manifestation of Marco and Jon’s guilt caused by their job. I’d like to think the monster is indeed a representation of this because that’s a far more interesting premise and smart metaphor.

Bone Cold certainly has plenty of action. The bullets fly. But its most interesting segments occur during the more human moments, such as conversations between Marco and Jon about deaths they’ve witnessed and their struggle to keep it together. Meanwhile, the scenes at the beginning and end of the film, set in the domestic space, are another highpoint. Jon desperately wants to keep everything hidden from his family, but by the end of the film, it becomes nearly impossible. He knows he has blood on his hands, and he starts to unravel. In these moments, Stoddard turns in a compelling performance.

Initially, Bone Cold seems like an action movie without much substance, but as its story unfolds and is given time to breathe, it becomes more than bullets and bloodshed. It’s an intriguing character study about a sniper who feels guilt over his kills, including a civilian who happened to be the wrong target. The monster in the woods can be read as an extension of that. Hanson’s movie is more than a late-night creature feature. Yes, it has some gory sequences, but it’s all in the context of a man rattled by PTSD, desperately trying to keep it together. The creature is cool and all, but the very human story makes the runtime worth it.

7 Out of 10