The Snowman has got to be the best movie I’ve seen in theatres all year. It’s quite good despite critic reviews, with Roger Ebert giving it 1.5/4 and scoring a mere 10% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Emoji Movie scored 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, and I can say it’s a better film in every aspect. I tend to view cinema through a more artistic standpoint than most, which is part of the reason why I give this film a high rating. There are other films I have been looking forward to seeing more than The Snowman, I must say. Although I say it’s the best movie I’ve seen all year, I’ve seen a collective of about three films in theatres this year.

I spoke to a fan of the book by Jo Nesbø after the movie. From what I’ve been told, the movie is a pretty faithful adaptation of the book. Although Harry Hole has a snarkier attitude in the book, I enjoyed the movie’s version of Hole. The movie follows the book’s pacing from what I’ve heard, which may have been a factor in the low ratings. Norwegian storytelling differs from American storytelling. The exposition could have been adapted to be more lengthy to appeal to the audience, but the pacing of the movie parallels that of the book. The Snowman was rated 4/5 on Goodreads, significantly higher than the movie.

Through a more technical lens, I thought this movie was above average. One element that stuck out to me was the use of framing in certain scenes. The viewer’s perspective is outside in cases where the main characters are not shown. People are observed inside the safety of their homes or cars, while the camera is outside looking in. This shows the premeditative nature of the Snowman and how he stalks his victims.

Focus played a large part in this film from my perspective. In shots with the red Volvo, the back of the car is usually shown, accentuating the colorless license plate against the vibrant vehicle. The snowy setting places an emphasis on anything that stands against it. The snowmen fit into the background much like the killer does.

The soundtrack sets a tone, and I found it similar to that of the BBC’s Sherlock. “Popcorn” by Hot Butter is a complete bop that lightens the mood in certain scenes, while the heavy use of string instruments in most other cases gives another layer of suspense to the film. Where there is verbal music, it adds to the feel of scenes. “Sleep” by Greni gives an isolated, ephemeral tone, while “Stormur” by Sigur Rós gives off the feeling of melancholy victory.

I recognized actress Jamie Clayton from Sense8 as Edda. Not very often do I see actors I recognize in a film. Although there was a lack of diversity in the cast, it made sense because most inhabitants of the Nordic region are caucasian. Actors of note include Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds, Prometheus), Rebecca Ferguson (Florence Foster Jenkins, The Girl on the Train), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Melancholia, Antichrist), and James D’Arcy (Cloud Atlas, Dunkirk).

Of course, you can dump on this movie all you want, but personally, I rate this movie with a B+. If negative reviews are more up to speed, the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone have reviews that rip apart this movie more than the Snowman rips apart his victims. Overall, I didn’t think this movie was terrible, and I could definitely take away some dos and don’ts of moviemaking from The Snowman.