The mystery genre doesn't get much love these days, but it seems like there's always one noir film that pops up in the fall of each year. David Fincher is probably the master of the modern noir, having directed masterpieces like Se7en and Zodiac, as well as more recent efforts such as the 2011 remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl. But for every Fincher-esque work of suspense and terror, there's something like Tate Taylor's The Girl on the Train, a ghastly attempt at translating a popular best-seller to the big screen. When it comes to this genre, it's a total toss-up. Ever since I first read about the concept for The Snowman, I have been on board with this film, an adaptation of a popular novel from Let the Right One In and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy director Tomas Alfredson. A detective named Harry Hole, played by the reliably brilliant Michael Fassbender. A terrifying serial killer who murders in the snow. A talented supporting crew led by Rebecca Ferguson and J.K. Simmons. This sounds like hard-boiled noir 101. With the October release just under 3 months away, Universal has debuted the first trailer for the film. Check it out below!
I'm still intrigued, but if I'm being completely honest, I like the poster shown below more than the actual trailer. It starts well enough, depicting a horrifyingly intense murder and kicking things off with some intense Fassbender voice-over, but this trailer quickly devolves into standard issue action nonsense. I can't tell what tone this movie is going for, and while Alfredson's track record indicates a commitment to unconventional narratives and challenging films, Universal appears to be marketing The Snowman as a pulpy bit of mystery horror. To use my aforementioned comparison- this movie looks to be leaning more towards Girl on the Train territory, which is a very disappointing thing. That being said, I'm gonna put my money on the idea that this is just marketing. Universal probably doesn't want to have to sell audiences on a depressing, gruesomely disturbing thriller, so they're pitching a rather basic action movie with some darker elements. I can't fault them for that, but I hope the final product is more engaging than this trailer.
The Snowman will hit theaters on October 13. A festival premiere could be in the cards, but Universal has been shy about doing so in the past. We shall see.
Poster courtesy of Universal
I'm still intrigued, but if I'm being completely honest, I like the poster shown below more than the actual trailer. It starts well enough, depicting a horrifyingly intense murder and kicking things off with some intense Fassbender voice-over, but this trailer quickly devolves into standard issue action nonsense. I can't tell what tone this movie is going for, and while Alfredson's track record indicates a commitment to unconventional narratives and challenging films, Universal appears to be marketing The Snowman as a pulpy bit of mystery horror. To use my aforementioned comparison- this movie looks to be leaning more towards Girl on the Train territory, which is a very disappointing thing. That being said, I'm gonna put my money on the idea that this is just marketing. Universal probably doesn't want to have to sell audiences on a depressing, gruesomely disturbing thriller, so they're pitching a rather basic action movie with some darker elements. I can't fault them for that, but I hope the final product is more engaging than this trailer.
The Snowman will hit theaters on October 13. A festival premiere could be in the cards, but Universal has been shy about doing so in the past. We shall see.
Poster courtesy of Universal
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