The Snowman (2017 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Tomas Alfredson (director) |
| Products | Psychological thriller film |
The Snowman is a 2017 psychological thriller helmed by director Tomas Alfredson with a screenplay crafted by Peter Straughan, Hossein Amini, and Søren Sveistrup. Adapted from Jo Nesbø's 2007 novel, the film features performances by Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Val Kilmer, and J. K. Simmons. The narrative centers on inspector Harry Hole as he pursues a serial killer who leaves snowmen at the scenes of his crimes. Filming commenced in January 2016, beginning in Norway before relocating to London and Sweden.
The movie debuted on 7 October 2017 during the Haifa International Film Festival and was subsequently distributed by Universal Pictures on 14 October in both the UK and Sweden, followed by a 20 October release in the United States. Despite a production budget of $35 million, it earned $43.1 million globally but failed to meet commercial expectations. Critics largely dismissed it as predictable and disengaging. Alfredson later distanced himself from the project, attributing its flaws to an accelerated production timeline.
Plot
In a secluded cabin, a young boy and his mother, Sarah, face abuse from his father Jonas, who serves as a police officer. After Jonas assaults Sarah, she threatens to reveal their secret illegitimate child. During an ensuing chase, Sarah loses control of her vehicle, which plunges into a lake; the boy manages to escape while Sarah drowns.
Years later, Harry Hole, an inspector with the Norwegian Police Service based in Oslo, battles alcoholism and copes with a recent separation from Rakel, mother to Oleg—whom Harry regards as a son. Upon receiving an enigmatic letter adorned with a snowman illustration, Harry partners with rookie detective Katrine Bratt to probe the disappearance of Birte Becker. At Becker’s residence, they discover a snowman figure.
Harry learns that Katrine has accessed police files without permission. She discloses her investigation into possible links among several missing persons cases and a cold case dating back nine years, originally handled by the alcoholic inspector Gert Rafto. Katrine convinces Harry to assist in reopening the inquiry into Sylvia Otterson’s disappearance; they locate Sylvia alive on her farm. Shortly thereafter, an assailant wearing a mask decapitates Sylvia using an electrified cable. Harry and Katrine are summoned back to the farmhouse where they meet Ane, Sylvia’s identical twin; Sylvia’s corpse is found inside the barn with her severed head placed atop a snowman.
Katrine suspects that corrupt businessman Arve Støp is responsible for the killings. While investigating in Bergen, Harry encounters Rakel’s new partner Mathias, a cosmetic surgeon, realizing he neglected his promise to take Oleg camping. In Bergen, Harry uncovers that Inspector Rafto died from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound and discovers that Katrine is Rafto’s daughter.
Victims had all visited Dr. Vetlesen’s clinic; Vetlesen also operates Støp’s high-end prostitution network. When Birte Becker’s phone signal is traced to Vetlesen’s residence, Katrine attempts to detain him but finds him dead from a gunshot wound alongside remains belonging to Becker and another missing individual. Authorities classify it as suicide and suspend Katrine for breaching protocol.
To compel Støp into admitting responsibility for her father’s murder, Katrine flirts with him at a public gathering and installs surveillance equipment in his hotel room but is attacked and drugged by a masked assailant who amputates her right finger to access and erase data on her work tablet. The following morning, Harry discovers Katrine deceased inside a car marked with a snowman outline on its roof.
Rakel visits Harry expressing mixed emotions; they share an intimate moment interrupted by Mathias’s phone call. Following clues left by Katrine, Harry re-interviews Birte Becker’s husband Filip and learns Filip met with Mathias, who also serves as a hormone specialist consultant. Mathias abducts Rakel and Oleg to a remote cabin in Telemark. Harry tracks them down and confronts Mathias—revealed as the boy from the opening scene harboring resentment toward his mother for abandoning him and targeting mothers he deems unfit. Harry rescues Rakel but loses one of his fingers during their struggle; Mathias escapes across a frozen lake where he shoots Harry before falling through the ice and vanishing underwater.
The concluding scene depicts Harry equipped with a metal prosthetic finger volunteering for assignment on a new homicide investigation.
Cast
- Michael Fassbender portrays Detective Harry Hole
- Rebecca Ferguson appears as Katrine Bratt
- Charlotte Gainsbourg plays Rakel Fauke
- Val Kilmer takes on the role of Gert Rafto
- J. K. Simmons acts as Arve Støp
- Toby Jones features as Investigator Svenson
- Adrian Dunbar embodies Frederick Aasen
- David Dencik represents Idar Vetlesen
- Ronan Vibert performs as DCI Gunnar Hagen (his last role prior to his 2022 passing)
- Chloë Sevigny portrays Sylvia Ottersen/Ane Pedersen
- James D'Arcy appears as Filip Becker
- Genevieve O'Reilly plays Birte Becker
- Peter Dalle acts as Jonas Lund-Helgesen
- Jamie Clayton features as Edda
- Jakob Oftebro embodies Magnus Skarre
- Jonas Karlsson represents Mathias Lund-Helgesen
- Sofia Helin appears as Sarah Kvensland
- Dinita Gohil plays Linda
Jo Nesbø, the original novel's author, was initially slated for a cameo appearance; however, his scenes were ultimately removed.
Pre-production
According to Variety, the film was designed to initiate a franchise akin to the Alex Cross film series. The development drew heavily on the popularity of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).
Originally, Martin Scorsese was attached as director but departed from the project in 2013. In 2014, Tomas Alfredson was appointed to direct after the studio lost interest in other candidates such as Morten Tyldum and Baltasar Kormákur. By September 2015, negotiations began with Michael Fassbender to lead the cast, with discussions involving Rebecca Ferguson and Charlotte Gainsbourg following later that year.
Filming
Principal photography commenced on 18 January 2016 in Oslo, Norway. Fassbender was observed filming on 21 January within the Barcode district, including scenes involving a tram. A significant party sequence featuring over 300 extras was filmed at Oslo City Hall on 5 February. The production then relocated to Rjukan on 9 February and subsequently to Bergen on 23 February, capturing sites such as Mount Ulriken, Bryggen, and the Skansen fire station. Mid-March saw a return to Oslo for key scenes, including those set at Restaurant Schrøder, an important locale from the book series. Additional shooting took place in locations like Drammen and along the Atlantic Ocean Road. Principal photography wrapped up on 1 April 2016.
Further filming and reshoots were conducted in Norway during spring 2017.
Production challenges
Following unfavorable critiques, Alfredson attributed difficulties to a condensed pre-production phase and an accelerated shooting timetable, resulting in approximately 10–15% of the screenplay remaining unfilmed. This led to narrative inconsistencies during post-production editing:
Alfredson also mentioned that sudden approval of funding caused an abrupt commencement of filming:
During production, actor Val Kilmer encountered obstacles due to an enlarged tongue stemming from recent throat cancer treatment. As a result, many of his scenes were filmed without visible speech to allow for later dubbing; all his lines were subsequently dubbed in post-production.
Marketing
Universal Pictures unveiled a poster for the film on 18 July 2017, followed by the release of the initial trailer the subsequent day. An international version of the trailer was introduced on 5 September. The poster, which displayed a childlike sketch of a snowman alongside a message addressed to the police, rapidly gained traction as a popular Internet meme.
Release
The Snowman had its premiere at the Haifa International Film Festival on 7 October 2017. It was then released in cinemas on 13 October in the United Kingdom and on 20 October in the United States.
Home media
The film became available for digital purchase on January 2, 2018, followed by its release on Blu-ray and DVD formats on January 16, 2018, through Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Box office
Globally, The Snowman earned $6.7 million across the United States and Canada, with an additional $36.4 million from international markets, culminating in a total box office of $43.1 million against a production budget of $35 million.
In its North American opening weekend, it competed alongside Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, Geostorm, and Only The Brave. Initial forecasts estimated around $10 million from 1,813 theaters. However, after generating $1.3 million on opening day (including $270,000 from Thursday previews), projections were lowered to approximately $4 million. The film debuted with $3.2 million, placing eighth at the box office. Its revenue dropped by 64% in the second weekend to $1.2 million, sliding to 17th place. By the third week, it had been pulled from 1,291 theaters and experienced an 86% decline to $167,685, finishing in 33rd position.
Critical response
Critics largely condemned The Snowman for its fragmented narrative and unclear direction for the actors. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a mere 7% approval rating based on 197 reviews, with an average score of 3.2/10. The site's consensus remarks that the movie "wastes both its popular source material and a talented ensemble cast." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 23 out of 100, reflecting "generally unfavorable reviews." Audience feedback via CinemaScore assigned it an average grade of "D."
Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times described the film as a "bungled slopsicle," highlighting lost opportunities. Guy Lodge from Variety labeled it a letdown, citing "snowballing incoherence" despite the filmmakers' prior success with intricate stories such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times referred to it as a "leaden, clotted, exasperating mess," while Alison Willmore of BuzzFeed News called it "an inept misfire," provoking curiosity about behind-the-scenes issues.
In contrast, Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian awarded it three out of five stars, describing it as "a serviceable, watchable thriller" that contains strong thematic elements. Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent also gave it three stars out of five, calling it "a very slick slice of Scandinavian noir," though he criticized its increasingly implausible plot developments.