Oh the weather outside is frightful, but what could be considered even more terrifying is releasing a Christmas film within the first week of January. It’s enough to make the blood run cold, but here we are with Stanislav Kapralov’s debut feature Let it Snow. Now Christmas purists needn’t worry too much, as although you’ll spot Christmas trees and hear popular songs (no prizes for guessing which one is most heavily featured), Christmas is not a major focus of the film.
The most striking element of Let it Snow, more so than plot, characters, dialogue, editing, music and so forth, is the gorgeous scenery. No matter what you take away from the film there is no denying how beautiful almost every single shot it. Kapralov and cinematographer Yevgeny Usanov deserve full credit for the way they capture the snowy Georgian mountains. They don’t rest on their laurels either, as they constantly find new and exciting ways to explore the landscape with many shots eliciting audible appreciation. The vistas are also utilised to successfully convey mood and tone. It can be pretty, terrifying, solitary, warm, or even confusing. Emotions that are on display throughout the storyline.
It’s not the most original or engaging plot though, as two Americans, Mia (Ivanna Sakhno) and Max (Alex Hafner), head to a Georgian ski resort with the intention of snowboarding down Blackridge, a mountain trail that has been cordoned off after numerous deaths and missing persons. As you can probably guess, this isn’t going to do much to stop our protagonists, but once out on the slope they find themselves stalked by a snowmobile driver dressed all in black. Despite a fairly obvious horror setup, the film prefers to remain a taut thriller where it would rather play with your mind in order to disturb, which it manages to do, especially towards the end with a very unpleasant, yet satisfying, visual.
Sakhno is the centre of attention for the majority of the film and thankfully she pulls off everything that is required of her. Mia is a well written character that isn’t the usual useless horror protagonist. Early on she displays survival tactics which make her seem strong and intelligent, and as the film ramps up the tension the antagonist never gets the drop due to Mia’s incompetence. Sakhno shows great physicality as a performer as she deteriorates both mentally and physically. It’s difficult to watch Mia slowdown as the film crescendos and Sakhno gets across Mia’s pain wonderfully.
Let it Snow is an impressive first feature that promises more to come. There are some hurdles the film can’t quite get over. At 87 minutes the film shouldn’t feel so long in places, but thankfully it can pull itself out of its flunks fairly easily. There’s nothing too original going on, but Kapralov manages to take what little he has and focus on how to make scenes memorable and evocative. Go in expecting a well acted, slow paced thriller with stunning visuals and you won’t be disappointed.
Signature Entertainment presents Let it Snow on Digital Platforms 4th January 2021.
Let It Snow
Summary
An impressive debut from Stanislav Kapralov – a well acted, slow paced thriller with stunning visuals.
