What is it that truly marks the beginning of Christmas? For some, it is wandering brightly lit streets or cracking out the Michael Bublé album that signals the start of the holiday season. For others, it is the avalanche of festive romantic comedies that launch on the big and small screens alike that reminds them that Santa Claus is only a few weeks shy of coming to town. 'Let It Snow' falls into this latter category of festive fanfare. In addition to being the latest Christmas flick to be available for streaming on Netflix, it also follows the trend of adapting its plot from YA literature by using the novel of the same name co-written by John Green (of 'The Fault in Our Stars'), Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. 'Let It Snow' takes on an anthology format, following the stories of several high school seniors in a small Illinois town as they all make their way to the local Waffle House for a Christmas party.
We Wish You a Merry Cliché
'Let It Snow' opens with the story of Tobin (Mitchell Hope), a neurotic high school senior who has long been in love with his childhood friend, the Duke (Kiernan Shipka), but who finds himself competing for her affections with college boy and frustratingly nice guy, JP Lapierre (Matthew Noszka). Tobin has also been tasked with getting a beer keg to a party hosted by his friend, Keon (Jacob Batalon), at local eatery Waffle Town (a running joke is that the fluorescent "W" of the sign is missing, so the name humourously pronounced by the characters as "Awful Town"). Keon works with Dorrie (Liv Hewson), an out-and-proud teen who is shaken when her crush, the popular dancer Tegan (Anna Akana), arrives at Waffle Town with all of her friends, only to pretend that Dorrie doesn't exist. Rounding out the Waffle Town residents is Julie (Isabela Merced), an intelligent student grappling with whether to stay and care for her ill mother or go to college in New York, who has her day suddenly interrupted by an unexpected run-in with teen pop sensation, Stuart Bale (Shameik Moore).
The interacting plot-lines all culminating in a Christmas celebration recalls another Christmas classic, 'Love Actually'. Unlike that Richard Curtis hit, however, 'Let It Snow' lacks the originality, chemistry and heart to worm its way into our regular festive repertoire. Many of the storylines, in particular Julie and Stuart's "ordinary girl meets famous boy" and Tobin and the Duke's "best friends to more", use tropes carried out so mechanically that you feel as though your first viewing of 'Let It Snow' may as well be your hundredth. You might argue that Christmas films are teeming with clichés and that this is their charm and, certainly, nobody can deny the appealing prospect of a predictable but cute festive romantic-comedy at this time of year. Where 'Let It Snow' falls short, however, is in generating the warmth and heart needed to pull off these clichés without making them seem boring. The script, penned by a formidable comedic trio of Laura Solon ('Back to Life'), Victoria Strouse ('Finding Dory') and Kay Cannon ('Blockers'), veers between light-hearted humour and dramatic arguments so quickly that the viewer is left with whiplash and is not given the time to truly become invested in the storylines. All we want for Christmas? A bit of originality.
Indeed, 'Let It Snow' appears to struggle with tone throughout. Not only does the script have one too many explosive arguments for any of the conflict to seem truly high-stakes, but the visual contrasts between huge, snow-covered landscapes of rural Illinois and the fluorescent interior of a roadside Waffle House is quite jarring and lacks the comfort or warmth expected from a Christmas flick. Whilst director Luke Snellin ('The A Word') does a commendable job of bringing out the comedic presence of naturally gifted young actors such as Kiernan Shipka and Jacob Batalon, when the tone shifts from humourous to serious, Snellin struggles to retain the heart required for a Christmas viewings. What should have been a touching storyline about female friendship through the reconciliation of Dorrie and her best friend, Addie (Odeya Rush), after Addie becomes obsessed and sidetracked by her boyfriend's online habits, for example, instead becomes painful to watch as Addie's neuroses and selfish tendencies are played as almost funny in their intensity, something that takes away from the friendship between the two girls. It was a shame to see Odeya Rush, who has proved herself to be a promising and nuanced actress through her secondary roles in 'Dumplin'' and 'Lady Bird', be given material that has such potential only to fall at the final hurdle.
The framing device of 'Let It Snow' also doesn't quite fit with the film. Once again taking a leaf out of the 'Love Actually' book and Hugh Grant's iconic opening monologue on the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport, 'Let It Snow' is narrated by an eccentric local dressed in tin foil who goes around rescuing people stuck in the snow storm. Portrayed by Joan Cusack, who does her best to ground the film with messages about the importance of change and chance, the contrast between her philosophical voiceover and a group of teenagers drinking beer at a roadside waffle house seems mismatched.
Now for the Merry and Bright
That is not to say that 'Let It Snow' is completely without its festive charm. Kiernan Shipka and Mitchell Hope give wonderful performances as Tobin and the Duke. The easy banter and charming rapport between the two really convince the viewer that the two have been friends for years, and this established platonic love for one another makes the first pangs of romantic feeling seem all the more painful and exhilarating. Watching their love story play out on screen, I felt my heart swell up several sizes like the Grinch and was reminded of what a good Christmas film can do when it's at its best.
Isabela Merced also does an excellent job of bringing genuine adolescent concerns to the screen in the role of Julie. Julie's internal conflict over whether to stay home with her sick mother or go to college across the country speaks to the fears and doubts of young people across the world bordering on the precipice of adulthood, and Merced's portrayal of Julie's attempting to negotiate her unwavering loyalty with her desire for something more wins the audience over immediately.
The high point of 'Let It Snow', however, is undoubtedly the blossoming romance between waitress Dorrie and popular dancer, Tegan. When one considers that the only LGBTQ+ storyline of fellow anthology rom-com 'Love Actually' was seen as so unimportant to the plot that it was axed from the final cut of the film, this gentle love story about two young women, one confident in her sexuality and one terrified of coming out, seems like a long overdue answer to every Hallmark film that has pushed LGBTQ+ love stories aside. Liv Hewson's speech about refusing to be shamed or hidden, even by the girl she likes, is hugely powerful. YouTube presence Anna Akana also has a convincing turn as Tegan, a girl so used to hiding behind façades that she doesn't know what to do when someone comes along to tear it down.
For a romantic comedy, the humourous aspects of 'Let It Snow' are consistently stronger than the love stories, perhaps due to the background of the screenwriters in the genre. One stand out scene that gently pokes fun at well-intentioned if poorly carried out diversity whilst also admitting the importance of multiculturalism is when Stuart and Julie watch the local church's nativity play as the baby Jesus is presented to the goddess Lakshmi before the entire cast of religious figures light a menorah. It is moments of genuine originality and warmth like this that make the viewer see what 'Let It Snow' could've been with a stronger sense of tone and a better handling of clichés: a heartfelt, if predictable, snowy escape that leaves the viewer bouncing with excess Christmas spirit. It's just a shame that, in the end, the ice doesn't thaw quite enough to leave the viewer feeling satisfactorily warmed.
Rating: 4/10
The Best: Some well-landed jokes and a heartfelt LGBTQ+ storyline
The Worst: Clichés delivered so blandly that even a devoted Hallmark lover can't quite bring themselves to enjoy them.
