Let it Snow is based on the book of the same title, comprised of three intertwining short stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. It's set on Christmas Eve in a small town in Illinois. Julie (Isabela Merced) is on the train home to spend Christmas with her mother when the train breaks down. She (literally) runs into pop star, Stuart Bale (real life singer Shameik Moore) as the train breaks down not far from the station. The two leave the train and hike to the local restaurant, Waffle Town, where Stuart wants to experience something "real" in contrast with his pop star lifestyle.
Stuart and Julie at the Waffle Town.
Meanwhile, Tobin (Mitchell Hope) and Angie, aka 'the Duke' (Kiernan Shipka from
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and
The Blackcoat's Daughter) are about enjoy their annual movie marathon party. Tobin wants to tell the Duke that he has feelings for her but never quite finds the right moment.
Mitchell Hope as Tobin. "I was doing pushups over broken glass."
Tobin and the Duke sing a duet.
Addie (Odeya Rush) is paranoid that her boyfriend, Jeb, will cheat on her. Her best friend, Dorrie (Liv Hewson from
The Santa Clarita Diet and
Dramaworld), who works at the Waffle Town, has a crush on Tegan (Anna Akana), a cheerleader who is giving her the cold shoulder.
Tegan and Dorrie.
Just for fun, I decided that this year while watching Christmas themed movies I'd play Christmas Movie Bingo. This is a game where you have cards with squares that list common, usually cheesy or cliché, things found in Christmas movies. There are numerous versions of Christmas Movie Bingo cards available online, or you could always make your own. I chose
these.
Let It Snow is better written than a lot of Christmas movies I have seen, but it does bring the cheese and I got bingo fairly quickly.
Let it Snow Xmas Bingo card.
That's not to say it's a bad movie, by any means. It's a little cheesy at times, but honestly, I'd be disappointed in a Christmas movie that wasn't. There is a lot to like about this film. It features quirkiness, such as Joan Cusack as a tow truck driver clad entirely in aluminium foil, for reasons that are never explained (and I feel like there should be a bingo square for the movie including Joan Cusack, since she's quite the Christmas movie veteran). Then there is a bizarre multicultural Christmas pageant that includes the wise men, the goddess Lakshmi and a Chinese guardian lion. And there is romance, music, snow (of course) and if that's not enough for you, a pig in a Santa hat.
Joan Cusack as the tinfoil wearing tow truck driver.
A very special Christmas play.
Piggy! I hope these characters actually know how to care for it properly.
is a Christmas teen movie that is quirky, romantic, and a little cheesy, but overall watchable. It was released on Netflix in November 2019.
