SummaryWhen an elite crime squad’s lead detective (Michael Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit (Rebecca Ferguson), the cop must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit thi...
SummaryWhen an elite crime squad’s lead detective (Michael Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit (Rebecca Ferguson), the cop must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit thi...
In short, the raw materials are there for a fun – if throwback – genre piece of the kind that kept ’90s cinema stocked with stiffs. Alas, the tension dissipates in a tangle of muddled subplots, sluggish pacing and some strange decisions from director Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). The result isn’t a Bone Collector, never mind a Se7en.
[Disclaimer: I am rating this movie without reading the book, or knowing anything about the original story. I am purely rating this for the movie and it's aspects which might be affected by me not knowing the 'original' plot] It felt like a depressive state, which is exactly the vibe the director was going for with the color pallet and the environmental feel, plus with his interesting choice of cinematography. The cast delivered great for me and really gave over the tension and emotion of the characters which can immerse the audience with this story. It has no pacing issue, on the contrary it takes things to fast for a non-familiar audience with the book. And the plot gets even more complex throughout the movie, which is good and enhances the thriller feeling of it. The non linear and non-chronological order of scenes gives every single detail almost at the right time, up until apex of the movie, after which pieces fall to it's place but most of them never do, with a bunch of plot holes that where pretty relevant but hard to notice. The visuals and even the sound effects where very realistic and gruesomely practical. It won me over with it's original story, and perhaps I will even pick up the book. Overall I consider this to be a very good movie, but solely a movie. I think that this is VERY underrated movie, and is only held back by the anticlimactic ending and lacking a proper conclusion to our protagonists life, and a few other small elements mentioned over my review. [Again, I rated the movie as it is and not compared it to the book.]
A good film. Basically true to the book. Difficult if not impossible to capture Nesbo's intricately layered plot in the time span of a film. Great Norwegian scenes. Good acting. I liked it.
The Snowman goes wrong quickly, permanently, and in a spiral, turning into a nonsensical nightmare of Scandi-noir howlers from which you sometimes feel you may never awaken.
With some films, you can tell where one or two things went wrong — perhaps a decision in script, or a performance that’s off base — but The Snowman is the rare movie where for every choice, there was a better way to go.
Anyone confused by this film wasn't paying attention. The story was limited but far from incoherent. It could have been better but it's nowhere near the disaster critics would have you believe. The acting was exactly what you'd expect from the A-list cast and the cinematography was excellent.
Hollywood A-listers mixed with Sweden's finest in a dark, gritty and visually stunning thriller. A typical and predictable plot with a surprisingly minimalist Fassbender and a Ferguson that sticks out best. A slow-burner but never boring or generic. Still wastes its Hollywood potential.
This movie is not horrible. It is a bit confusing though. There are still some bits that were thrown in that didn’t seem to go anywhere or lead anywhere. It does get off to a slow start, I felt. But, ultimately, it wasn’t a bad movie and certainly held my interest for the duration. The plot may have come off better in the book (which I did not read) because it mostly seems implausible if tou put it all together.
Talk about a complete, choppy mess. The Snowman was a film I have always been curious about ever since its initial release, mostly due to how infamous it was and how even the director of the film commented on its incomplete nature. After giving it a watch myself, I can completely agree. This movie had lots of potential, but it is ultimately wasted by a plodding narrative, botched editing, characters and story arcs that end up amounting to nothing. The basic premise is that there’s a serial killer who goes after women, specifically women with marital issues and children, and the killer always builds a snowman near the scene of the crime acting like a calling card. Washed up detective Harry Hole (HA!) and his new partner Katrine are set to investigate these murders and catch the killer. To get at least a few positives out of the way, the casting is rather notable, and for the most part they do alright with the material given to them. There are even some moments of really great cinematography, with beautifully shot landscapes and lighting. Unfortunately, that’s where my positives end for the film, because Jesus Christ this movie is a mess. First off, the cinematography may be solid, but the editing is awful. Right from the start, the editing is incredibly choppy, with no sense of pacing. It’s an issue that is prevalent throughout much of the film, whether it be a basic passage of time or a chopped up flashback sequence. I would also like to give special mention to Val Kilmer’s inclusion in this film. He was sick around this time, and thus they had to ADR over his lines, and man does it look bad. The way the dialogue is being spoken not only doesn’t match Kilmer’s physical acting, but it also doesn’t sync well with his mouth movements. He doesn’t appear very long in the movie and just ultimately feels wasted. By far, though, the biggest problem with this film is its story and structure. It’s no secret that about 15% of the script wasn’t even filmed, and it shows. Most of the characters get very little development, plot points that seem like they are about to go somewhere have little to no resolution, and the movie itself ends in such and anti-climactic way that you are just left feeling unfulfilled and baffled by what you just watched. What could have been doesn’t change the fact that what we were given was such a mess, and I’d almost recommend the film for that alone. If you were looking for a far more affective thriller, just go watch something like Zodiac.
The cinematography is fantastic, and that's about it. This movie was a slog from start to finish with merely buildup and no payoff, as well as sleazy acting throughout.