The Snowman
Crime thriller. With Michael Fassbender and Rebecca Ferguson. Director: Tomas Alfredson. 16V. In SA cinemas now.
Like many other fictional detectives, Oslo cop Harry Hole (Fassbender) is great at solving murders but terrible at everything else. Though he’s a drunk, his ex (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her son (Michael Yates) still welcome him into their lives – when he remembers to show up.
At his best when working on a case, Harry tags along with rookie Katrine Bratt (Ferguson), who’s convinced a new missing persons case is linked to various murders around Norway where in each case a corpse was found with a snowman nearby. Initially sceptical, Harry soon realises they might be dealing with a serial killer.
Big-screen mysteries are increasingly rare, so when a cast and director this distinguished sign on you expect the source material – a bestseller by Scandi-noir star Jo Nesbø – to be something special. But though the charismatic Fassbender tries his best to make the clichéd hero interesting, the other actors – including JK Simmons and Chloe Sevigny – are wasted in small roles, the plot is formulaic and the killer’s identity is easy to figure out.
Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) tries a few stylistic tricks, but the film feels long, with lingering shots of the killer’s over-the-top handiwork threatening to spill over into satire.
It comes across as a glossy, starry episode of an entertaining but average detective show such as Vera. If you’re new to the genre or have low expectations you should enjoy it, but viewers expecting a fresh twist – like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – will be disappointed.