s ▁invent ive ▁use ▁of ▁dram atic , ▁thr iller , ▁prison - film ▁and ▁even ▁horror ▁genre ▁elements ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁its ▁top ical ▁them es ▁and ▁soci ological ▁expos é , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁its ▁g rit ty ▁real ism ▁in ▁direction ▁and ▁phot ography , ▁non - linear ▁story t elling , ▁ha un ting ▁musical ▁score , ▁and ▁strong ▁performances ▁from ▁a ▁cast ▁of ▁unknown ▁actors . ▁ ▁Larry 4 1 1 ' s ▁Independent ▁Film ▁Analysis ▁gave ▁a ▁ 5 / 5 ▁star ▁review , ▁saying ▁Cold water ▁" tr uly ▁defines ▁what ▁can ▁be ▁achieved ▁in ▁cinema ▁when ▁the ▁film m akers ▁are ▁calling ▁the ▁sh ots ," ▁describing ▁the ▁film ' s ▁take ▁on ▁the ▁ju ven ile ▁prison ▁genre ▁" as ▁fresh ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁dev ast ating ly ▁genu ine ." ▁ ▁It ▁went ▁further ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁" what ▁makes ▁this ▁real ▁life ▁horror ▁film ▁so ▁g ri pping ▁is ▁that ▁it ' s ▁based ▁on ▁actual ▁inc idents ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁well ▁documented ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Director / co - writer / produ cer ▁Vincent ▁Gr ash aw , ▁with ▁co - writer ▁Mark ▁Pen ney , ▁have ▁taken ▁these ▁true ▁stories ▁and ▁craft ed ▁a ▁powerful ▁work ▁that ▁trans c ends ▁the ▁genre ▁and ▁leaves ▁the ▁vie wer ▁em otion ally ▁dra ined ." ▁ ▁Play maker ▁magazine ' s ▁A + ▁score ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁Cold water ' s ▁S X SW ▁premi ere ▁called ▁it ▁" a