Cold Heaven

The sixth and final film Theresa Russell made with Nicolas Roeg is a suspenseful mystery about an unfaithful woman whose faith in God is tested when her husband dies—only to miraculously come back to life. It's the first of Roeg's visionary works in which his fascination with the supernatural takes on a explicitly religious dimension. From the very scene of the boating accident that proves fatal to the husband, we see a drowning statue of Virgin Mary. Throughout the film, Roeg freely scatters religious symbols. Especially striking are the recurring upward-looking images: not just ominous panoramic shots of storm-laden skies, but also frequent camera movements that tilt heavenward, as if appealing to a higher power. With the repeated appearances of the supposedly dead husband, the film at times feels like an arthouse take on a the zombie genre. Roeg walks a fine line here between spiritual unease and flashes of visceral horror.