The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Fund us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Cannes
      • Sundance London
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • Tumblr

  • RSS


CultureCinemaMovie reviews

The Snowman

The Snowman | Movie review
13 October 2017
Euan Franklin
Euan Franklin
Avatar
Euan Franklin
13 October 2017

Movie and show review

Euan Franklin

The Snowman

★★★★★

Release date

13th October 2017

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

FacebookWebsite

Nordic noirs are all the rage, even more so than their American predecessors. There’s something about a snowy setting that sends an ice-cube down people’s spines. In Tomas Alfredson’s adaptation of The Snowman, based on Jo Nesbø’s eighth Harry Hole novel, we have the same setting but done by Hollywood. Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) is the typical drunk and depressed but brilliant detective, who investigates a series of missing persons reports with the help of his partner Katrine Bratt (Rebecca Ferguson). But this turns into a series of grotesque murders – all containing the presence of a snowman, the killer’s calling card.

The audience is settled at the start, but only after overcoming a few disappointments. It’s clear from the beginning that the film shouldn’t be taken seriously but as a bit of noirish fun. And this does work for a time, even given its imperfections. But then it gets silly and convoluted, particularly when JK Simmonds gets involved as a pervy abortion doctor. The viewer spends the time trying to figure out what the hell is going on, and isn’t too impressed with the result.

The film is in a constant hurry. The scenes are shunted from drawing themselves out and embracing the viewer. This is from the director of 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and co-written by Hossein Amini, who adapted Drive – both features that preserve an excellent sense of patience. The Snowman feels like a disappointment in comparison. Although the audience likes Harry Hole and Fassbender’s brilliant performance, there are times when all the characters feel skipped over. It would’ve been nice to linger longer in the scenes. As it is, the movie is more like a two-hour trailer.

There are some favourable aspects. Although a lot of the story is stupid, the fun is never lost. One can still enjoy The Snowman, especially horror fans. Alfredson adopts a John Carpenter, Halloween-style approach in some scenes – but these are short-lived moments.

The Snowman is a cold rush of a movie. Like a snowball, it crumbles as it continues. There are moments that are genuinely creepy, and Dion Beebe’s scenic cinematography makes one stare in awe, like when watching a nature documentary. But the story strips away these qualities, losing them in the snow.

★★★★★

Euan Franklin

The Snowman is released nationwide on 13th October 2017.

Watch the trailer for The Snowman here:

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

Every Day

★★★★★
Catherine Sedgwick
Read More

Big Fish and Begonia

★★★★★
Chloe Sizer
Read More

Funny Cow

★★★★★
Selina Begum
Read More

The Leisure Seeker

★★★★★
Daniel Amir
Read More

Let the Sunshine In

★★★★★
Euan Franklin
Read More

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

★★★★★
Euan Franklin
Read More

Truth or Dare

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

The Titan

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Rampage

★★★★★
Catherine Sedgwick
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Euan Franklin

The Snowman

★★★★★

Release date

13th October 2017

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

FacebookWebsite

Tickets

Theatre tickets

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Hide in Mayfair: Dabbous raises the bar of informal fine dining with his new restaurant
    ★★★★★
    Food & Drinks
  • Gregory Porter at the Royal Albert Hall
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Vaccines and Whenyoung at Alexandra Palace
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Every Day
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Project Gastronomía: How will Londoners eat in 2015? A symposium on gastronomy and multisensory design
    Food & Drinks
  • Tribeca Film Festival 2018: On the red carpet with the stars of Westworld season 2
    Cinema
  • Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Hinds at Electric Brixton
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Faceless
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Hinds at Electric Brixton
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Half Breed
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Education, Education, Education at Shoreditch Town Hall
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Gregory Porter at the Royal Albert Hall
    ★★★★★
    Live music

Instagram

Something is wrong. Response takes too long or there is JS error. Press Ctrl+Shift+J or Cmd+Shift+J on a Mac.
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Fund us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • New London restaurant openings and pop-ups
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Subscribe
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2018 FL Media Ltd

Beginning at the National Theatre | Theatre review
Competition: Win tickets to the premiere of The Stolen