Cold Pursuit (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After his son Kyle dies from a forced heroin overdose, Nels discovers the truth: Kyle was murdered by Viking's drug cartel after losing a cocaine shipment. Dante, hiding in Nels' storage unit, reveals that Kyle was tortured and killed, not an accidental overdose as initially believed. Devastated and unable to get justice through legal means, Nels crafts a sniper rifle and begins systematically hunting down Speedo, Limbo, and Santa, the men directly responsible for his son's murder.

• nels coxman
• vigilante
• revenge
• son death
• vigilante justice

Nels finds Dante hiding in his storage unit. Dante was present when Kyle was killed, he witnessed Speedo and Limbo force heroin into Kyle during a gang-related kidnapping. Dante reveals that Kyle worked for Viking's cartel and was killed after losing a shipment of cocaine, not because he was a drug addict as the police presumed.

• dante
• kyle coxman
• discovery
• drug cartel
• truth

Viking is the leader of the Denver drug cartel responsible for Kyle's murder. Kyle had become entangled with Viking's organization and was working as a courier. When he lost a cocaine shipment, Viking's men Speedo and Limbo kidnapped and killed him as punishment, staging the death as a drug overdose to cover up the murder.

• viking
• trevor calcote
• drug cartel
• denver
• kyle murder

Nels kidnaps Ryan, Viking's son, to use him as bait to lure Viking into an ambush. Knowing Viking would come for his son, Nels plans to kill Viking at the snowplow company where he has the advantage. This desperate tactic is Nels's attempt to end the conflict by eliminating the cartel leader directly.

• ryan
• kidnapping
• trap
• viking son
• ambush

In the climactic showdown at the snowplow company, Nels has Viking cornered. However, instead of killing him, both men realize they share something in common, Viking has also lost his son (Ryan was killed by The Eskimo). This mutual grief creates an uneasy understanding between them. They stop fighting, with Nels taking responsibility for protecting Ryan, and they leave together, forming an unlikely alliance.

• confrontation
• snowplow company
• grief
• alliance
• resolution

Dante continues hiding in Nels' storage unit after revealing the truth about Kyle's murder. He remains in hiding throughout the film as Nels carries out his revenge mission. The summary does not specify Dante's ultimate fate, but he is not among the characters killed by Nels.

• dante
• witness
• hiding
• storage unit
• fate

The Eskimo is a professional hitman that Nels's brother Brock recommends to help kill Viking. However, The Eskimo is greedy and decides to profit from both sides, he takes money from Nels to kill Viking, but then double-crosses him by also accepting payment from Viking to kill Nels. When Viking learns The Eskimo's true nature, Viking kills him instead.

• eskimo
• hitman
• betrayal
• double cross
• brock

Viking spares Nels because they are both fathers who have lost sons. When Viking arrives at the snowplow company expecting to rescue Ryan, he learns his son was already killed by The Eskimo. Nels, having just experienced the pain of losing a child, offers to take care of Ryan. This shared grief creates an unexpected bond between the two men who were previously enemies, leading Viking to choose reconciliation over revenge.

• viking spares nels
• grief
• fathers
• forgiveness
• reconciliation

Officer Dash and her partner Gip begin investigating the strange violent events occurring in their small town. They piece together the series of murders, Speedo, Limbo, and Santa all turning up dead, and find connections to the drug cartel activity. Their investigation draws them closer to uncovering Nels's role in the killings, though the summary does not detail their full discovery.

• officer dash
• Gip
• police investigation
• murders
• kehoe

In the film's dark conclusion, Avalanche, an associate or member of the criminal underworld, dies. His untimely demise serves as a chilling final note to Nels's quest for vengeance, adding to the film's bleak tone. The death underscores the collateral damage of the revenge plot and reinforces the moral complexity of Nels's actions.

• avalanche
• death
• ending
• conclusion
• dark twist

Nels wraps each body (Speedo, Limbo, and Santa) in chicken wire to ensure they sink and never surface. This methodical approach to hiding evidence reflects Nels's careful, calculated nature as he carries out his revenge mission. The chicken wire weights the bodies down permanently, allowing Nels to continue his killing spree without immediate detection.

• chicken wire
• bodies
• disposal
• evidence
• method

After their son Kyle's death, Grace falls into deep grief and experiences a psychotic breakdown. She becomes unable to cope with the loss, leaving Nels to face his sorrow and isolation alone. Her breakdown adds to Nels's emotional torment and further fuels his need for vengeance against those responsible.

• grace
• wife
• breakdown
• grief
• mental health