Review by claudio_carvalho

In the countryside of an Eastern Europe country, three little girls are murdered in the wood by a pedophile and found naked with one precise cut on the throat. Detective Viktor Marek (Richard E. Grant), who has come from the city, investigates the case, but his superior Pavel Nowak (James Laurenson) arrests a scapegoat, the pothead Alexi Berka (Thom Hoffman), and tortures the youngster to confess the murder since he is disputing the elections. Marek does not agree with the result of the investigation and resigns his job but continues to track the killer. While following a lead in an old road, Marek meets the girl Anna Tatour (Perdita Weeks) that has a flat tire of her bicycle and he offers a ride in his car to the girl. Then, he tells to Anna's mother, Milena Tatour (Lynsey Baxter), that she should instruct her daughter to not accept ride from strangers.

Marek becomes obsessed to hunt down the pedophile and he decides to rent an old gas station in the old road near to the place where the crimes where committed to see the cars that use the road and he invites Milena to cook for him with the intention of secretly using Anna as a bait. Meanwhile the killer is the disturbed pediatrician Vladimir Kozant (Simon Cadell), who puts his eyes on Anna while refueling in the gas station. But Marek has fallen in love with Milena and Anna and he decides to call-off his investigation.

"The Cold Light of Day" is a great thriller with murder, pedophilia and obsession. Viktor Marek is an interesting character that becomes obsessed to accomplish his promise to the parents of a victim and changes his life expecting to catch the killer. Anna is a beautiful character, pure and traumatized by her past. In the end, "The Cold Light of Day" is a thriller recommended for viewers that want to see a different and quite unknown movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Isca Mortal" ("Mortal Bait")