"Cold Pursuit", Liam Neeson's New Movie, is As Racist As Its Star

Cold Pursuit, Liam Neeson's new movie, is as racist as it's star. As Neeson indicated during his infamous interview with the Independent in which he detailed his plans to murder a random Black man following the revelation that a friend had been raped by an unknown Black assailant, Cold Pursuit is a story of violent revenge. Neeson's character, Nelson "Nels" Coxman, is also a respected citizen who becomes a homicidal vigilante. Unlike Neeson, Coxman follows through with his plans. Coxman methodically tracks down and kills members of a cocaine-trafficking organization after his son is killed for ripping them off. Unlike Neeson's story, the entire tale is fictional.

Cold Pursuit's sole Black character, "the Eskimo" has the poorest grammar in the film. Not only is he ridiculed for his use of the English language but his ethics are called into question as well -- the Eskimo, who's a hitman, is judged by a lifelong drug kingpin (who's white, of course) for welching on a deal to murder said kingpin. The judgemental drug dealer, "Viking", even goes so far as to ascribe Eskimo's moral failings to the entire "hood". Immediately following the use of racial stereotypes to disparage him to his face, Eskimo is murdered by a group of white guys.

The movie later goes out of its way to malign Native Americans, voiced by more than one white character, and an East Indian is dismissively referred to by his ethnicity -- in a condescending tone -- as though he weren't even standing there. The director, Hans Petter Moland, ensures that we see him die comically after proving ineffectual during a shootout.

Cold Pursuit's prejudices are not however gender-based. The despicability of the characters extends to the women. A female member of a Native American drug-trafficking organization that rivals Viking's is the one who refers pejoratively to the aforementioned Indian. Coxman's sister-in-law, who's rude and nasty in every scene, spits on her (apparently loving and devoted) husband's grave following his murder at Viking's hands. During her investigation, a local cop excited by the prospect of a turf war in her small town, celebrates her continued deception of an old boyfriend as she manipulates him into believing that she still cares so that he'll provide intel relevant to the disappearances. Finally, Nels Coxman's wife, after projecting her own feelings of guilt for not knowing their son better (while ignoring her husband's suicidal grief), leaves him in a decidedly callous fashion. He returns home one day to discover his wife gone and an envelope containing a completely blank card on the bed. She actually took the time to seal the envelope.

While director Hans Petter Moland was busy capturing unnecessary bigotry, he forgot to include small details like the fact that everyone's breath should be visible in wintry Keyhoe, Colorado, where the story is set. And after Coxman beats a man to the point of exhaustion -- outside in the snow -- his nose doesn't even run.

Cancel Liam Neeson and this movie.

Originally Posted 2/8/19