‘Snow Valley’ Review: A Film That Never Congeals
I am well aware of how difficult filmmaking is. And I know that no one sets out to make an ineffective feature. But I find myself at something of a loss with Snow Valley. I think writer/director Brandon Murphy was shooting for an atmospheric snowbound chiller with plenty of twists and turns. And the skeletal outline of such a film almost exists here. But the execution isn’t on the level needed to pull off that admirable conceit. The screenplay reads like a work in progress; the tension is nearly nonexistent; and the twist feels tacked on and almost incidental.
The setup sees lovebirds Heath (Cooper van Grootel) and Laura (Rachel Michiko Whitney) taking an excursion to Heath’s family ski chalet for a couple’s weekend. The dwelling backs up to premium slopes that connect to a private lift. Moreover, the chalet is outfitted with 16 bedrooms and a full-time housekeeper (Barbara Crampton) lives onsite. While the young lovers await the arrival of their friends, Brannon (David Lambert) and Anna (Paige Elkington), Heath pops the question and Laura accepts. But then Heath’s weird friend, Ed (Tom Williamson), crashes the party. Following Ed’s arrival, some weird, ghost-related stuff happens and we learn that the lodge has a dark history. Such a bummer.
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Snow Valley is dedicated to the memory of writer/director Brandon Murphy. Previously, Murphy co-wrote the screenplay for Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. And I think that speaks to what the late creator was capable of. But Snow Valley doesn’t seem to be representative of Murphy at his most inspired. The screenplay has a lot of challenges that kept me from fully connecting with the narrative. One aspect of that is the somewhat stilted dialogue and unnatural exchanges between the characters.
An example of the awkward dynamic between the cast can be seen when Laura and Heath sit on the sofa and casually recount their first meeting. It reads as really strained and feels a lot like they are recalling their meet-cute for the benefit of the audience more than anything else. Additionally, the way both profess to have loved the other from the moment they first met eyes feels unrealistic and unoriginal.
Similarly cringe is the exchange where Laura tries to make sense of why they are hearing gunshots after Heath makes a dramatic presentation of locking Ed’s gun in the safe, Heath responds, “Yeah but not every gun in existence.” OK, Heath. Thanks for that nugget. That scene would have been infinitely less clunky if Heath had simply replied, “I did. It must not be his gun.” As I said, the script feels like a work in progress at times.
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Awkward exchanges and cringe dialogue aside, there are a number of attempts to keep the audience guessing as to whom or what will prove to be the film’s antagonist. But that goes on far too long. Very little happens for the first 2/3 of the film. And then, all of a sudden, the twist is revealed and the picture is over with almost no tension having been established at any point.
Snow Valley is rather short, clocking in at around 70 minutes without the credits factored in. But too much of the picture’s limited runtime is spent in limbo, waiting for something to happen. There are probably 15 minutes devoted to alluding to Ed as the antagonist before an awkward pivot paints him in a different light.
Further troublesome is the manner in which developments to move the narrative along are shoehorned in. One such instance sees the audience learning that Laura just so happens to study a very niche phenomenon in her Ph.D. program that gives her insight into the motivations of a mysterious character that is eventually introduced. I will keep it vague to avoid spoilers. But suffice to say that it grated on me that the audience is asked to just go with such an uncanny turn of events. What are the odds? Astronomical, to be sure.
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Similarly jarring, not long after Ed comes on the scene to play red herring and introduce the lore surrounding the lodge, he winds up in a compromising position with Anna, who no more than 5 minutes before has professed her deep-seated and undying hatred for Ed. But throughout a couple of minutes to which the audience is not privy, she gets comfortable enough with Ed to accept a naked chakra massage, complete with sexy moaning noises that make everyone think they’re having sex. Once again, that development isn’t supported by anything that came before it. And it doesn’t make a lick of sense. It serves to further the narrative in some fashion but that is the sole purpose of that unlikely development.
Despite its flaws, Snow Valley does feature serviceable performances from a couple of the leads. Barbara Crampton is underutilized but it’s nice to see her do what she can with the material she’s been given. Additionally, the lodge set design sets the location up to come across as very lodge-like. So, that’s nice.
On the whole, I can appreciate what Brandon Murphy was trying to do with his final film. I think there may have been some complications that kept him from making the movie he set out to make. But he made a feature. And that’s further than a lot of people get with their screenwriting aspirations. So, my hat is off to him for that.
If you’re keen to check Snow Valley out, you can scope the film on VOD and Digital now.
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‘Snow Valley'
Summary
‘Snow Valley’ is derailed by a screenplay that doesn’t quite work at any point in time.
