10s Movie Review - The Snowman

Director: Tomas Alfredson
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, J.K. Simmons, Val Kilmer, Toby Jones, James D’Arcy, Chloë Sevigny

Description: Detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a woman whose scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman

Review: Every once in a while, a film is planned that can’t fail, at least on paper. “The Snowman” is based on a popular best-selling novel. It has a director who delivered succesful movies and a cast that understands its craft. So what can go wrong? Well, I don’t know what went wrong, but “The Snowman” is a terrible movie.
“The Snowman” is the first film based on a populat book series starring detective Harry Hole. Good ad his job, but bad in getting his personal life together. He has a struggling relationship with his ex-girlfriend and her son and deals with a drinking problem. In the first half hour we see Harry wake up in three different places I the morning, after drinking all night.
To restrain his inner demons, Harry needs a case that he can hold on to. When a killer is on the loose in Norway, killing and beheading young women, he can finally shows off his skills again. On every crime scene, the killer leaves a snowman, which will become the signature.
You would think this is the perfect plot for an intense cat and mouse game between a cop and a serial killer. But this never happen. Where did it go wrong? It’s not director Alfredson, who previously gave us “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “Let the Right One In’”. He blamed the hasty production process.
This does show, especially in the subplots of the film. Sometimes they feel out of context and it never really feels like a whole. Especially the scenes with Val Kilmer, which are sometimes even comical and plain weird.
Morbid things happen in this movie, but the movie never shocks, scares are gets exciting. Movies like “Zodiac” or “Sev7en” are perfect examples of how it should have been. “The Snowman” lacks everything that those two movies have.
Michael Fassbender isn’t bad, but he isn’t as strong as usual. And I seriously think that, if it weren’t for him, this movie would’ve even been worse.
“The Snowman” is better of left unwatched. It’s a waste of time.

Rating: 1,5/ 5