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Snow Angels Review

Release Date: Mar 07, 2008
Rated: language, some violent content, brief sexuality and drug use
Runtime: 1 hr. 46 min.
Genres: Art House/Foreign, Drama
Director:David Gordon Green
Cast:Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Michael Angarano, Jeanetta Arnette, Griffin Dunne. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

3.0

Dave White Profile <h3>Dave White</h3> <p><strong>Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex</strong></p> <br /> <p>Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/dave-white">Read full profile</a></p>

… just a different, less expensive version of Fake. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

4.0

67

out of 100

Metascore^®
Generally favorable reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
100

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
David Gordon Green's captivating winter-chill tragedy, is a tale that encompasses murder, divorce, adultery, alcohol abuse, mental breakdown, and the disappearance of a small child. In other words, it's downbeat enough to make the recent Oscar-nominated films look like party games.

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100

out of 100

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
Green is a rare bird in American filmmaking: a humanist who knows how to tell a story.

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50

out of 100

USA Today Claudia Puig
An intriguing and somber tale of disintegrating and disappointing relationships fused with a coming-of-age story.

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60

out of 100

The New York Times A.O. Scott
For a film full of murder, jealousy and fatalism, Snow Angels feels curiously small and anecdotal, and its impact diminishes as it nears its terrible conclusion.

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60

out of 100

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano
Despite all-around wonderful performances and excellent dialogue, the story never quite coheres narratively. Instead it moves toward a hopelessly bleak -- and I mean bleak -- climax that's more traumatic than dramatic.

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63

out of 100

ReelViews James Berardinelli
Frankly, Snow Angels is a downer. This isn't inherently a negative - after all, some of the cinema's most powerful motion pictures are downbeat. However, in this case, there's no emotional force behind all the gloom - just a sense that something's missing.

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70

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter
Snow Angels succeeds because of the depth of its well-drawn characters. With no cinematic sugarcoating, it's an organic story that draws us in to these people's lives, as flawed and destructive as they may be.

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80

out of 100

Variety Justin Chang
Emotionally harrowing and gentle by turns, this well-acted winter's tale is a more narrative-driven experience than Green's more lyrical Sundance entries, "George Washington" and "All the Real Girls."

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See all Snow Angels reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 16+

Emotionally intense story of small-town America.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie has a violent ending that might disturb younger viewers. It explores themes of alcoholism, self harm, depression, infidelity, and the nature of violence. The contrast between sensual teenage discovery and adult acts of brutality may leave a lasting impression on sensitive viewers.

Families can talk about healthy relationships versus dysfunctional ones. What does it mean to be innocent? What does it mean to be disillusioned? How does Arthur cope with his parents' split? How does Glenn cope with his separation from Annie? How does one path lead to fulfillment and the other to destruction?

The good stuff

Messages: Glenn's emotional outbursts are terrifying. Infidelity among parents doesn't set a good example.

What to watch for

Violence: Gun violence in an emotionally intense scene. Self harm including hitting head against a truck.
Sex: Teen sex implied in scenes, but body parts not shown specifically. Infidelity is a theme here. Teenage boys briefly talk about porno movies.
Language: Annie yells at 3-year-old, saying "Dammit!" F-words used at various points.
Consumerism: Random shots of American life show people gassing up at the tank. This is more about the have-nots than the haves.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Arthur has "weed" on him, that teens smoke at a crucial moment in the film. Glenn abuses alcohol to the extreme.

Common Sense Media

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.