It’s going to be chilly in May when Cold in July opens in Los Angeles this coming week. Viewed at the Sundance film festival in January, this pulpy tale directed by Jim Mickle and set in Texas was one of my favorites.

Of course I love noir, write it myself, and have a great admiration for films and books in the genre. This is pitch perfect, often violent, funny, and filled with enough red herrings to make a smorgasbord.

No spoiler alerts here, just the broad strokes. This is a taut thriller set in motion when small business owner Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) shoots an intruder who has broken into the home he shares with his wife and young son. The dead man’s dad, Ben Russell, played by Sam Shepard, has revenge on his mind, which sets in motion a long string of events including the counsel of Don Johnson as private eye Jim Bob Luke. This film doesn’t stay a revenge thriller, it takes as many fast paced twists and breath grabbing turns as any fine noir should. I came into this film “cold,” knowing the cast, genre, and nothing else about it – and you should, too. It’s an adrenaline rush, and a smart one. Enough said.

Not minor in the film’s many pleasures is Johnson’s exuberant performance; at Sundance he got cheers and kept the audience laughing during the film’s Q & A. Composer Jeff Grace’s throbbing score is another delight, as is the tightly wound script based on author Joe R. Landsdale’s book of the same name. The overall chemistry between leads Shepard, Hall, and Johnson makes this flick a high voltage ride. In short: pull on a sweater and get ready to be Cold in July.