'Coldwater' Review: 'The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln Returns to TV for a Gripping Psychological Thriller

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Jasneet Singh is a writer who finally has a platform to indulge in long rants about small moments on TV and film in overwhelming detail. With a literature background, she is drawn to the narrative aspect of cinema and will happily rave about her favorite characters. She is also waiting for the Ranger's Apprentice novels to be adapted... but the cycle of hope and disappointment every two years is getting too painful to bear.

For years, we only saw the courageous and protective version of Andrew Lincoln as apocalypse survivor Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead. But now he's washed off the grime and returned to the world of British thrillers, jumping straight into the deep end with a role that could not be more anti-Rick. In ITV's Coldwater, Lincoln plays a fearful father and resentful husband, John, who is the paragon of a coward. Long gone is the rough-and-tumble stubble and the growl in Lincoln's voice, as he trades in post-apocalyptic ruins for a small-town setting in this gripping six-episode series.

Coldwater is a classic psychological thriller that explores the suburban nightmare, playing on the idea of never really knowing who your neighbors are. Although the premise is familiar, and many narrative beats are predictable, its execution still manages to keep the viewer on the edge. Lincoln is at the helm of an equally impressive cast, including Indira Varma, Ewen Bremner, and Eve Myles, each bringing forth their own flavor of addictive as they build the contentious relationships between their characters.

What Is 'Coldwater' About?

Coldwater opens with a fever dream of a scene where John witnesses a man brutally punching and kicking a woman in the park. As we learn quickly enough, in fight-or-flight situations, John snatches his son and turns on his heels, racing from the scene with a panic-stricken expression. Then, he stops in the middle of the street and turns back when he realizes he left his daughter at the park. Very quickly, brutally and shockingly, the show sets up the kind of man John is, one who would forget his daughter in an emergency due to fear. After this incident, John's PTSD sends him running from Glasgow and to a small town called Coldwater in the Scottish Highlands, dragging his breadwinner wife Fiona (Varma) and his two children with him.

Even then, John has a knack for attracting bad men who can sniff out his cowardice. In their new neighborhood, he briefly avoids a confrontation with the town's troublemaker, Angus (Lorn MacDonald), only to be attacked by him during a late-night run in the woods. Tackled to the ground, John is forced to fight back for the first time in his life and smashes a rock against Angus' skull. Believing Angus to be dead, he ends up enlisting his neighbor, Tommy (Bremner), for help, who covers up John's crime through a fire. As time passes, however, John begins to suspect that Tommy is the more insidious danger, and his new life continues to unravel in horrifying ways.

'Coldwater' Mixes Immersive Tension, Black Comedy, and Family Drama

Andrew Lincoln and Ewen Bremner in Coldwater

None of the ideas presented in Coldwater are necessarily new, but its execution is something to be applauded. It has a strong and confident opening that immediately captures our attention, from the absurd way John runs from trouble to the ripe tension in his household. As the series drives forward, the guilt and distress that gnaw at John's psyche and how that impacts everyone around him are compelling, moving like sinister tendrils that taint the more mundane scenes of family drama into something more bleak. The backdrops of the Scottish Highlands work symbiotically to enhance this spooky tension, one where danger feels like it lurks in every shadow.

While the tension is immersive, many of the show's narrative beats are predictable. We pretty quickly realize who we can and can't trust and have a vague idea of how the rift between John and Tommy will play out, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Instead, that familiarity creates a strong foundation for the show and allows creativity to be directed towards the execution, especially in terms of performance and stylistic framing. That being said, the plot of the last two episodes does strain belief (and some of the characters' decisions will incite a decent facepalm), but the show does a decent job of dragging the wild tone back to something more grounded and spine-tingling.

Despite these hiccups in plotting and tone at the end, Coldwater mostly maintains a balanced and immersive atmosphere. It mixes family drama with a keen interest in psychopathy, where a cold case that mars the small town's past also ties into the central plot. Amid all the suspense and psychological tension is a pitch-black humor that is deliciously unsettling and always elicits a chuckle. This is accompanied by a sharp, witty, and cutting script that makes the familiar trip to the underbelly of suburbia feel like a novelty anyway.

'Coldwater' Is Stacked With Gripping Performances

The highlight of Coldwater is its cast, each of whom gives a show-stopping performance. While many of the townsfolk and the children do have notable scenes, the two main couples take the spotlight. John, Fiona, Tommy, and Rebecca each have deeply compelling characterizations that develop enticingly throughout the show, especially when secrets from their past are slowly dredged up. Lincoln's performance is fittingly pitiful at the beginning, and he makes John's arc convincing and organic, while Varma's Fiona is more of a slow-burn, finally garnering interest once she has a more involved role in the end. Bremner and Myles, however, will blow you away immediately with their multi-faceted, haunting characters.

Marriage is a major theme, as John and Fiona's relationship comes under scrutiny, and the show constantly subjects the viewer to the sort of trivial arguments between married couples that make the bond feel lived-in. That being said, some fights are rinsed and recycled (like insisting someone tell the truth but interrupting them when they try to), which may be a decent depiction of a tense relationship, but occasionally drags the pace of the show. Even then, Lincoln and Varma have incredibly palpable chemistry during these fights, but their dynamic admittedly pales in comparison to the fire between Bremner and Myles. These two are irresistible, combining layers of sexual tension with an inferno of darkness, giving us a whole different side to marriage.

Coldwater may not be breaking any new ground, but its six episodes are still time well spent. Between the characters and the atmosphere, it's hard not to get sucked into the creepy whirlwind of murder and mayhem that resides in this seemingly quaint town. If anything, the release is timed perfectly, as it is one of those unsettling shows you can flick on during a chilly night in.

Release Date January 9, 2026

Network Paramount

Directors Lee Haven Jones, Andrew Cumming

Writers David Ireland, Andrew Cumming

Cast

Pros & Cons

The show is confident and strong in its opening.
Each performance demands attention, especially Lincoln, Bremner, and Myles.
The tension, twists, and humor will keep you in a chokehold throughout the visually stunning show.