Like everybody else, once I first noticed the trailer for Netflix’s “Sizzling Frosty” — a couple of snowman who involves life to appeal a single lady in a small city — I groaned and giggled on the similar time. It felt like a parody of the tacky Christmas TV film style, the sort of simplistic, home-for-the-holidays enjoyable that Hallmark has lengthy championed and Netflix has efficiently showcased to a youthful viewers during the last handful of years. I figured I’d half-watch in some unspecified time in the future whereas additionally imbibing in some vacation cheer when doom-scrolling received a bit of too bleak.
Nicely.
I lastly seen the 90-minute smash starring Dustin Milligan because the titular Frosty and Lacey Chabert, and whereas it’s not profitable any Emmys, it’s a candy, surprisingly charming outing that ought to be capable to maintain its personal entertaining each your mother and father and any teenagers in your life this vacation season. (I suppose that is the half the place I let you know I’ve seen almost all of Netflix’s Christmas movies for the reason that streamer first dipped its toe into the viral water with “The Christmas Prince” again in 2017; I discover the “Princess Change” movies starring Vanessa Hudgens notably pleasant.)
Briefly: Chabert performs Kathy, a widow who lives in Hope Springs (excellent) and is gloomy this vacation season as a result of she’s on their lonesome. Whereas wandering previous all of the snowmen on show for a contest within the city sq., she wraps a crimson scarf a busybody neighbor gave her round one of many snow statues. Smash lower to the subsequent morning and that snowman is a really alive, highly regarded…man. Hijinks — and an entire lot of sexual pressure — ensue.
Positive, it’s goofy and in case you hate enjoyable, this one actually received’t be for you. But it surely’s not that a lot stranger than the logline for any beloved vacation traditional, whether or not that be an Elf from the North Pole going to NYC, or a harried mom forgetting considered one of her youngsters at dwelling earlier than a protracted journey. I received’t spoil how this one ends, however like these favorites it additionally has a well timed, candy message; this one about welcoming love into your life, irrespective of for a way lengthy or how inconvenient.
One among my favourite issues about this film (moreover the higher-than-expected manufacturing values, due to director Jerry Ciccoritti and group), is how deeply dedicated everyone seems to be to the foolish premise, notably Chabert as a girl who’s open to beginning over with love once more and by no means anticipated it to be with a person like Jack, who claims to be a snowman and might’t be indoors for too lengthy — as a result of he would possibly begin melting, duh. She is a girl on the verge… of eager to fuck a snowman, a reality she performs with matter-of-fact sincerity and precisely zero winks to digicam. (Nicely, possibly simply the one.) One other delight is Craig Robinson because the antagonist/chief of police, a law-and-order tyrant who desires to catch Jack as a result of he stole some garments when he first got here to life at some point.
A purposefully ridiculous plot isn’t a straightforward factor to drag off; Netflix’s different huge providing this 12 months, “The Merry Gents” — about placing on a strip present to save lots of the city music corridor — is especially atrocious. “Sizzling Frosty‘s” screenplay, by Russell Hainline, doesn’t get slowed down in any sort of detailed explanations or world-building: Jack was once manufactured from snow, he’s extremely enticing, and everybody on this small city is sort of superb with it. How’d it occur? Don’t fear about it. How’d he study to speak? Don’t know! Aren’t the facility dynamics between a literal brand-new human male and an grownup lady a bit of troubling? I swear to God, I don’t care!!
“Sizzling Frosty” replaces subplots for pleasure; spotlighting tentative romance as a substitute of something flashier. However by the tip of its runtime, I used to be genuinely pulling for Kathy and Jack to make it work. In any case, they could not share the identical physique temperature(!), but when vacation TV motion pictures have taught me something it’s that love, with assist from some vacation spirit, can overcome absolutely anything.
That’s what I name Christmas magic.
“Sizzling Frosty” is now streaming on Netflix.