▁involves ▁imag ining ▁yourself ▁in ▁a ▁situation ▁har sh ▁enough ▁to ▁justify ▁the ▁al ien ation ▁and ▁ra ge ▁flo oding ▁your ▁soul . ▁The ▁att raction ▁is ▁the ▁per verse ▁satisfaction ▁of ▁end uring ▁night mar ish ▁scenarios , ▁no ▁matter ▁how ▁high ▁the ▁deck ▁is ▁stack ed ▁against ▁you ." ▁ ▁Ind ign ant ▁herself , ▁she ▁awarded ▁the ▁film ▁only ▁one ▁star ▁for ▁what ▁she ▁called ▁" its ▁mel od ram atic ▁mixture ▁of ▁grand ios ity ▁and ▁power less ness ▁to ▁its ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁as ▁a ▁tort ure - ch am ber ▁cru cible ▁for ▁an ▁angry ▁young ▁man ▁who ▁has ▁to ▁grow ▁up ▁too ▁fast ." ▁ ▁The ▁Hollywood ▁Re porter , ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly , ▁The ▁Play list , ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal , ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Post , ▁all ▁review ed ▁Cold water ▁favor ably . ▁ ▁The ▁Hollywood ▁Re porter ' s ▁Top ▁critic ▁John ▁De F ore ' s ▁positive ▁review ▁of ▁Cold water ▁said : ▁ ▁" A ffect ing ▁drama ▁ex poses ▁a ▁brut al ▁real ▁world ▁phenomen on ." ▁ ▁De F ore ▁highlight ed ▁the ▁mix ▁of ▁genre ▁elements ▁with ▁social ▁relev ance , ▁writing ▁that ▁Gr ash aw ▁" and ▁co - screen writer ▁Mark ▁Pen ney ▁introduce ▁inc idents ▁that ▁tie ▁the ▁story ▁to ▁prison ▁films ▁of ▁the ▁past , ▁then ▁gradually ▁explo it ▁the ▁novel ty ▁of ▁this ▁setting , ▁height ening ▁the ▁m ood ▁of ▁isol ation ▁with ▁g lim ps es ▁of ▁outside