Stone Cold Fox (2025) – 80s Revenge Flick with Sparks, But Mostly Familiar Fire
Hello, movie lovers! In this post, I'm revving back to the Reagan era with Stone Cold Fox (2025), directed and co-written by Sophie Tabet. Starring Kiernan Shipka as the fierce Fox, Krysten Ritter as the ruthless queenpin Goldie, Kiefer Sutherland as the sleazy Sgt. Billy Breaker, and Jamie Chung as Officer Corbett, this 86-minute action thriller drops a defiant teen into drug-den danger. I dug the retro vibe and dark comedy flashes, but the simple setup stayed simple, earning a 6/10—once-fun escapism. Let's chase the highs and hit the skids.
Stone Cold Fox (2025) - Commune Escape Turns Cocaine Chase with '80s Sass
Cranking up Stone Cold Fox (limited theaters and digital November 7) hurled me into 1986's neon haze—big hair, roller rinks, synth stings that screamed Miami Vice lite. Shipka's Fox bursts from an abusive commune, raw and reckless, hunting family ties in a world that chews up lost girls. The queenpin angle? A boss-lady twist on drug-lord tropes—Goldie's violent vibe adds edge, showing how wrong turns trap the vulnerable. Sparks fly in Fox's infiltration squad-up with Frankie (Mishel Prada) and Dylan (Adam Elshar)—action nods like Die Hard quips and buddy banter bring dark laughs, turning tense takedowns into entertaining echoes. It's female-fueled fury at its core: one girl's grit against greed and grime. At 6/10, it's a watch-once wonder—thoughtful on fate's foul plays, but too trodden to thrill deep.
The Plot: From Cult Breakout to Cartel Crawl
It's 1986. Fox (Kiernan Shipka), a teen forged in fire, bolts from a brutal commune, chasing whispers of kin in seedy streets. But fate flips filthy: queenpin Goldie (Krysten Ritter) snatches her little sis, siccing crooked cop Sgt. Billy Breaker (Kiefer Sutherland) on the trail. No escape but back in—Fox worms into Goldie's web, dodging dealers and double-crosses to claw her family free.
Tabet's script (with Jonathan Craven and Julia Roth) clocks a brisk 86 minutes of '80s grind: commune cults to coke dens, rinks to raids. Themes of lost youth lured into lethal loops simmer without sermons—simple stakes, but that sister snag stings. No franchise fluff; standalone stomp echoing Thelma & Louise grit with Lethal Weapon larks. Early reviews call it "brisk but basic," and yeah, the familiarity fits the formula.
Performances That Pack a Punch (or a Powder)
Kiernan Shipka shoulders Fox with steely spark—her wide-eyed warrior evolves from scared to savage, nailing the '80s teen tough without trope overload. Krysten Ritter rules as Goldie, her icy command cracking into chaos; it's villainy with velvet menace. Kiefer Sutherland slithers back as Breaker, channeling 24 sleaze with smirks that sting. Jamie Chung grounds Corbett as the straight-arrow foil, though sidelined per some takes. Mishel Prada and Adam Elshar amp the ensemble energy— their riffing steals scenes. Solid squad elevates the script's simplicity.
An '80s Echo of Female Fury Thrillers
Tabet's debut nods Point Break production with Bound bite—grainy filters, tie-dye tang, rink romps homage the era without overkill. It's girl-power grind: Fox's fight flips the male-dominated '80s action script, probing commune scars and cartel traps. Visuals vibe with VHS grit, scored to synth swells that pulse peril. Unique in its woman-at-the-top twist—Goldie's gang a gender-flip on godfathers—but critics ding the "generic" gears. A kitsch kick for retro revenge fans, per Heaven of Horror.
Ratings and Critical Reception
IMDb: 4.7/10 (140 users)—newbie low, skewed by sparse spins. No RT yet; limited release lags the tomatoes.
Early buzz: Letterboxd loves the "fun girl-power romp," but Punch Drunk calls it "basic without bite." Joblo slams "tonal inconsistency." My 6/10 threads the tease—entertaining embers in a formula fire.
A Minor Critique: Predictable Paths in the Plot
The story's straight-arrow setup stays too safe—kidnap chase and cop crook feel filched from '80s flicks, lacking twists to torque the tension; it's entertaining, but echoes over innovation keep it from roaring.
A Once-Watch Retro Romp for Action Addicts
At 6/10, Stone Cold Fox is a synth-soaked sprint—fun for '80s action appetites craving commune-crash chaos. Shipka's spark and squad laughs lit my night; it's a thoughtful tickle on trapped teens. Stream for the sass.
What did you think of Stone Cold Fox? Fox's fire a flare-up, or just familiar fumes? Drop your drive-bys below, and suggest my next—hitting more '80s echoes! Like, follow, share so you don’t miss the next getaway. Thanks for the ride—see you on the run!
