Ambitious Film Experiments With Narrative

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MOVIE REVIEW
Scarlet Winter
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Genre: Thriller
Year Released: 2023, 2025
Runtime: 1h 28m
Director(s): Munjal Yagnik
Writer(s): Zach Thielen, Munjal Yagnik
Cast: Gregory Wait, Ryan Hope Travis, Sophie Moshofsky, Nadine van Asbeck, Kaitlin Leddy
Where To Watch: arrives on UK Digital February 10, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: A thriller should keep the audience on edge, making them question every character’s motivation and every plot twist. SCARLET WINTER aims for this, blending a fragmented narrative with a psychological mystery, yet it struggles to maintain the tension needed to pull viewers in. Munjal Yagnik’s feature debut takes an ambitious approach, playing with time and perception to keep the audience second-guessing what they’ve just seen. While ambition is in no short supply, execution proves to be a tougher challenge.

At the heart of the story is Mark, played by Gregory Waits, who finds himself in an unthinkable nightmare—his lover’s body beside him, blood on his hands, and no memory of how he got there. As the fog of confusion lifts, the situation becomes even more complex. Was he set up? Is there more to the story than meets the eye? The film introduces its central mystery early, throwing Mark into a frantic quest for answers while suspicion looms over every moment. Unfortunately for the film, this feels all too familiar.

The film relies on a non-linear narrative, shifting between past and present to unravel the truth piece by piece. This method has been used effectively in countless thrillers, creating a sense of unease as viewers are forced to put the puzzle together. SCARLET WINTER, however, doesn’t always manage this balance. The jumps in time can feel more like interruptions than revelations, breaking the momentum rather than deepening the mystery. Sometimes, the film’s structure feels less like a carefully crafted thriller and more like an experiment that doesn’t come together.

Much of the story revolves around Mark’s entanglement with his wife, Sidney (Nadine van Asbeck,) and his mistress, Naomi (Sophie Moshofsky.) The film attempts to explore the emotional toll of deceit, betrayal, and desperation, but the character development lacks the weight needed to make these relationships feel real. Naomi’s frustration with being “the other woman” is acknowledged but never fully fleshed out, making her character feel more like a plot device than a person. Likewise, Mark’s conflict never reaches the depth that would make his paranoia truly gripping. He moves through the motions of someone unraveling, but the emotional weight isn’t quite there.

When the film leans into its noir elements, it finds some success. There’s an undeniable tension in watching Mark try to clean up his mistakes while always being one step away from disaster. He seeks help from a dubious friend, Richie, played by Ryan Hope Travis, who adds a necessary layer of unpredictability to the story. However, even as the stakes rise, the emotional connection to Mark remains distant.

A good thriller thrives on its payoff, but SCARLET WINTER struggles in this department. The climax delivers a twist meant to upend expectations, yet it doesn’t land with the impact it should. Part of this comes down to execution—the reveal feels sudden rather than foreshadowed, making it more of a jolt than a satisfying conclusion. There’s also an underlying question about what the film tries to say. Thrillers often use their final moments to reinforce deeper themes or to leave the audience unsettled in a meaningful way. Here, the ending raises more questions than it resolves, but not in a way that feels intentional. Instead, it leaves the impression of an unfinished thought rather than a closing statement.

Visually, the film has some striking moments. The snowy landscapes and stark environments connect the story’s mood well, reinforcing Mark's predicament and the cold-isolating nature. The cinematography captures this bleakness, creating a world where trust is as fragile as the ice beneath his feet.

The performances across the board are serviceable but not extraordinary. Waits does a fine job portraying a man trapped in paranoia, but the script doesn’t give him much room to push beyond the surface level. His fear and frustration come through but never escalate to the kind of raw desperation that would make his situation viscerally compelling. The supporting cast faces a similar issue—each character fills their role, but none feel truly lived-in.

SCARLET WINTER is a thriller with potential, but it never fully engages the audience the way it should. It has the right ingredients—a psychological mystery, a morally complex protagonist, and a visual style that fits the mood—but it doesn’t mix them in a way that feels fully realized. It’s clear that Yagnik is interested in pushing beyond traditional storytelling, and that ambition is commendable. But ambition alone doesn’t always lead to a satisfying film. SCARLET WINTER is a film that takes risks but doesn’t reap the rewards. It’s an interesting debut for Yagnik, showing he’s willing to experiment with structure and storytelling.

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[photo courtesy of MIRACLE MEDIA]

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