Cold Storage
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to Cold Storage
Cold Storage (2026) is an upcoming sci-fi action comedy horror film directed by Jonny Campbell and written by David Koepp, based on Koepp's 2019 novel. The movie centers on two self-storage facility employees, Teacake (Joe Keery) and Naomi (Georgina Campbell), who unwittingly unleash a highly infectious, mutating parasitic fungus – dubbed the Tartarus organism – from a former military base hidden beneath their workplace during a night shift. Joined by a retired bioterror operative (Liam Neeson), the unlikely trio must race against time to contain the rapidly spreading biological threat, which is capable of brain-controlling and body-bursting mayhem, before it triggers global extinction. The film is described as a blend of dark humor, intense action, and horror, incorporating elements of creature features, body horror, and zombie-adjacent sci-fi. It explores themes of scientific experimentation gone awry and the desperate struggle for humanity's survival against an invisible, evolving menace. With an R-rating primarily due to violent content, gore, and strong language, the movie is aimed at a mature audience who can appreciate a mix of visceral horror and dark comedy, positioning it as a potentially gruesome yet entertaining genre piece.
Things to Consider
Violence
'Cold Storage (2026)' is rated R for violent content and gore, indicating frequent and graphic depictions. The central antagonist is a parasitic fungus that causes 'brain-controlling, body-bursting mayhem' and leads to 'gross' and 'gnarly visuals' including practical gore and 'tactile transformations.' The film is described as body-horror-ish and zombie-adjacent, suggesting intense and explicit physical harm to characters.
The MPAA rating explicitly mentions 'violent content' and 'gore'. The fungus 'unleashes its brain-controlling, body-bursting mayhem on anything in its path'. Reviews refer to a 'gruesome prologue' and 'delightfully gnarly visuals,' with a heavy reliance on CGI but also rumors of 'practical gore and tactile transformations' for the mutating organisms.
Profanity
The movie carries an R-rating specifically for 'language,' indicating the frequent use of strong profanity. Trailer dialogues include exclamations such as 'Jesus Christ' and explicit curse words like 'fucking,' suggesting that coarse language is a common element throughout the film.
Scary & Intense Content
As a sci-fi action comedy horror film, 'Cold Storage' is designed to be highly scary and intense. The plot involves a rapidly mutating, brain-controlling, body-bursting fungus that threatens global extinction. Reviews emphasize 'dread,' 'anticipation and paranoia,' 'unsettling' relevance, and a 'sensory assault that makes the skin crawl,' indicating a high level of psychological and physical horror.
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Additional Context
Best For Ages
R-rated for audiences 17 years and older. The presence of graphic violent content, gore, and strong language, as confirmed by its MPAA rating, makes this film inappropriate for younger viewers. The depiction of a parasitic fungus causing 'body-bursting mayhem' and 'gnarly visuals' requires a mature audience capable of processing intense and potentially disturbing imagery.
Good to Know
As 'Cold Storage (2026)' is a new release, detailed critical analyses from parental review sites like Common Sense Media or extensive fan community discussions are still emerging. The information gathered relies heavily on official plot summaries, early reviews, and trailer content. Future reviews may offer more granular detail on content intensity and specific scene descriptions.
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