Hollywood has the tendency to revert back to the same themes when it comes to seasonal flicks. Let It Snow follows a handful of teenagers struggling to come to terms with the many self-inflicted problems they have in their lives.
I mentioned previously that the theme is nothing new. We’ve seen over a hundred movies that follow the same plotlines. Characters all live in the same place and know each other, yet none of their stories come together until the end.
We see how all these different personalities manage the conflict and drama during the build-up to the finale, only to end up happy in the end.
Like most stories with multiple layers and characters, there are some stories you’ll love and some you’ll dislike. The only character arc I absolutely hated was Keon, who played Jacob Batalon of the new Spider-Man saga. This guy flipped burgers for a living and dreamt of being a hotshot DJ. He then uses his employment place to host the grand finale party, probably against his bosses’ wishes. Sure we could applaud his efforts to be cool, but he overacted his part and was annoying anytime he was on screen since all he cared about was the party.
My favourite story involved the pop star Stuart (Shameik Moore) and Julie (Isabela Merced). They meet by chance on a train that ends up stranded, so the two agree to a breakfast date at the Waffel House. Stuart wants to be ordinary for a day, and Julie wants to think about anything but what’s going on at home. The two are a great couple, even though they roll in different social circles. I couldn’t wait to see if the pair could overcome their differences and end up together in the end.
There are two other major stories involving two best friends who love one another, yet neither has the courage to make a move. The other involved another set of best friends who have a falling out over one not supporting the other’s love choices. Joan Cusack has a minor role in the film as a tin-foil plow truck driver and has no impact on any stories. It could be argued she helps repair the broken friendship, while I’d argue that she was a pretty useless character.
Let It Snow won’t be the worse film you could spend your time watching. Interlocking story films are hit and miss; their success usually hinges on the subject material. 6/10
Ten Stars or Less 