Logline:
As Mia and Max visit a remote European resort for a free-ride snowboarding vacation, they ignore the receptionist’s disturbing tales of unexplained deaths on the nearby trails.
Oftentimes, the most terrifying situations are the ones that you know can happen but don’t think they will happen to you. You jokingly discuss scenarios with friends and think that you’ll know exactly what to do if catastrophe strikes… you won’t. Now, add in a deranged masked killer… you’re screwed. The worst part is knowing, at the end of the day, the whole situation was avoidable. Let It Snow is a harrowing film that puts you in the aforementioned scenario. What do you do when you’re stranded in a remote part of a foreign country and don’t speak the language, can’t call for help, and not only do you have extreme elements to battle but there’s a strange person seemingly trying to kill you? You only have two options, dig deep in order to fight and survive or shit your pants and die. This film isn’t your typical survival horror flick. It’s setting is idyllic, it’s elegantly shot, it’s as much somber as it is thrilling, and it’s very grounded.
This is a storyline that could easily be ripped from news headlines, which makes its concept terrifying. What makes it more interesting is that it challenges you to empathize with the darkness that looms over the entire plot. This is not a story where you focus on guessing who the villain is because it’s not that simple but the motivations are clear, rather, it’s about whether or not two people can survive this impossible situation. One of my favorite aspects of the film is turning a beloved winter theme song into a haunting anthem; that’s a specific as I’ll be on that. The film stars Ivanna Sakhno who delivers an intense and impassioned performance that displays her ability to carry a film. While the film is a bit of a slow-burn, the ominous tone keeps you on your toes as danger comes when you least expect it. However, it’s lacking in the scare department. It’s more thriller than horror. With that said, I did enjoy Let It Snow and its unexpected, weirdly beautiful ending. Its rewatchability is at a medium.
Plot & Pace
The film follows Mia and Max, two freeride snowboarders on a romantic and adventurous vacation in the country of Georgia. Things begin well enough but when Max convinces Mia to disobey the warnings of the hotel receptionist, things take a turn for the worst. Once the warnings become very real, it becomes a life or death situation with a very slim chance of survival. As I said before, the film is a bit of a slow-burn but is constructed in a way that you almost don’t notice.
Characters & Chemistry
Ivanna Sakhno as Mia put on an impressive performance. She goes through a full transformation from somewhat meek to Bear Grylls. Sakhno not only displays an array of acting ability but with a great amount of the film being just her, she solidifies her star-power.
Let It Snow is now available on VOD, Digital and DVD. Enjoy and stay safe.
Director: Stanislav Kapralov
Writers: Stanislav Kapralov, Omri Rose
Rated: R
Runtime: 1h 26m
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
