The Snowman

The Snowman

Go read the 1978 Raymond Briggs book or watch a 1982 animated film instead of this.

Genre:	Horror Mystery
Directed By:	Tomas Alfredson
Written By:	Hossein Amini Peter Straughan Søren Sveistrup
Starring:	Michael Fassbender Rebecca Ferguson Charlotte Gainsbourg Val Kilmer J. K. Simmons
Photography:	Color
Distributed By:	Universal Pictures
Release Date:	October 13, 2017
Runtime:	119 minutes
Country:	Sweden United Kingdom United States

The Snowman is a 2017 mystery film, based on the Jo Nesbø book of the same name. An international co-production between the US, the UK, and Sweden, it stars Michael Fassbender in the lead role.

Not to be confused with the 1978 Raymond Briggs story or the 1982 animated film of the same name.

Plot

A detective tries to find a serial killer who uses snowmen as a calling card.

Why It Sucks

Although the movie takes place in Norway, none of the actors are Norwegian, and none of them use Norwegian accents (in fact, most of them use British accents).
The film was conceived in 2011, but took until 2016 for production to begin after a number of directors dropped out.
- As a result, the plot is extremely incoherent.
- The film's production was rushed. According to Alfredson, 10-15% of the scenes were not filmed.
- A number of subplots are brought up that are never resolved.
- Due to medical problems, Val Kilmer's lines were unintelligible, leaving his lines to be poorly dubbed in by someone else.
The characters are all flat, with no development or known motivations.
There are quite a few scenes that are weird and irrelevant, and could be cut without affecting the movie.
The movie is just unspeakably boring, with many scenes that just drag on.
The finale is anticlimactic.

Redeeming Qualities

The actors at least put some effort into their work, though in the end, it's wasted by the terrible script and underuse of some characters.
The scenery shots of Norway are great.

Reception

The Showman was panned by critics and audiences, who derided what they saw as the film's scattered and incomprehensible plot line, as well as a lack of direction for its main cast members. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 7%, based on 188 reviews, with an average rating of 3.04/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A mystery that feels as mashed together and perishable as its title, The Snowman squanders its bestselling source material as well as a top-notch ensemble cast.".