Liam Neeson’s best movie in years is available to watch from today

'You can't help but get swept up in the action and adventure.'

Based on a novel by David Koepp (best known for penning the Jurassic Park screenplay), the movie follows Naomi (Georgina Campbell, Barbarian) and Teacake (Joe Keery, Stranger Things), two young employees at a self-storage company built on the site of an old US military base.

Working together for the first time on the night shift, and both stuck in the dull job out of necessity, the pair end up having the wildest night of their lives.

Seeking the origin of a strange alarm emanating from behind a wall in the storage unit, they discover that a parasitic fungus has escaped from the lowest sublevel of the base, which was sealed off by the US government decades before.

Also responding to the alarm is Robert Quinn (Neeson, Taken), a former bioterror operative who, decades ago, saw the mass damage the fungus can unleash. The veteran expert helps guide Naomi and Teacake about what to do next over the phone, as he rushes to their location.

Cold Storage is an unambashed B-movie that is significantly better in all areas than it has any right to be.

Yes, the storyline harks back to older horror classics that boasted a sprinkling of wry humour, such as Re-Animator, Return of the Living Dead and even the Resident Evil franchise.

Yet thanks to Jonny Campbell's energetic direction, some impressively gnarly and visceral special effects, and Koepp's relatable and satirical writing (he adapted his own book), you can't help but get swept up in the action and adventure.

Everyone who has ever had a boring, soul-crushing job will empathise with Naomi and Teacake. The pair wind up smack bang in the middle of a government cover-up and world-threatening doomsday scenario just because they were looking for a fun way to pass the time and a break from their monotonous daily existence.

There's also something that feels oddly believable about Cold Storage's depiction of the flaws of government bureaucracy and how they can lead to disaster.

In the horror comedy, the real reason this destructive, fast-spreading and parasitic fungus breaks containment is that the US Department of Defence basically forgot about it over decades. The concerns of veteran bioterror experts like Neeson's character are shown to be ignored by the more militaristic staff that replaced them, who seem to care more about public image than saving lives.

Campbell and Keery make characters already endearing on the page even more likeable, through their chemistry and funny line readings. Yet, it's really Neeson that steals the show.

Georgina Campbell and Joe Keery in Cold Storage

While always a compelling screen presence - we're big fans of his 2023 Irish thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners and last year's hilarious Naked Gun reboot - he seems even more locked in here.

The mix of his trademark gravitas and his newly discovered deadpan comedic chops works wonders for the character of Quinn, a brainy ass-kicking action man, who isn't as athletic as he once was. It's hard to save the world; it's even more difficult when you're battling crippling back pain.

Thanks to the human details like this, the exciting, fun and silly Cold Storage distinguishes itself from the B-movies that came before.

Cold Storage is in cinemas now.