Movie Review ~ Hot Frosty

I’ve been helping out at my mom’s house for the last few weeks, so I’m well aware that Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas is in full swing.  The holiday films are prepped, packaged, and ready to be unwrapped by viewers who expect the expected and are fine with a fixed formula.  Hey, it works, and ever since that chilly winter of 2020, I’ve been a convert to Hallmark’s and other cable/streaming services effort to keep Christmas (and Hanukkah and Kwanza and just “holidays”) in our hearts and minds.

If Netflix’s Hot Frosty teaches us anything, it’s that there’s always room for one more magical holiday romance…but this one has a few special ingredients that make it worth placing high up on your “nice” watch list. This snow-globe escape charms with its seasonal flair and offers a refreshingly surreal twist in the fantasy department.  For a genre dominated by (and known for its) cozy predictability, Hot Frosty surprised me by embracing magic in both the literal and emotional senses.  By bringing holiday wonder and a renewed sense of love into a widow’s life in the form of a living, breathing snowman named Jack, it expands the possibilities of where these tales can take us.

Kathy, holiday mainstay Lacey Chabert, is two years removed from her husband’s passing. As she navigates her grief, the Christmas season feels like a shadow of what it once was. Enter Jack (Dustin Milligan, FUBAR), a whimsical snowman she unwittingly brings to life after noticing the finely sculpted snowman (read: someone gave him abs of steel, er, ice) and offers him a red scarf.  This is no ordinary red scarf, though; it’s a rare find from a store run by Mel (Sherry Miller) and her husband.  Mel gifted it to Kathy, feeling that it would bring her good luck, and wow, oh, wow, does it ever change her life in ways she couldn’t have imagined.

Jack’s childlike wonder at the world and infectious enthusiasm for the simple things shake up Kathy’s routine as the owner of a popular café in town, nudging her toward sharing a life with someone again – a “new normal” she thought was behind her. Milligan plays Jack with a sensitivity that balances his inherent innocence with surprising emotional intelligence, creating a character who is not only endearing but whose very existence (going from a block of ice to a living and breathing being) echoes Kathy’s reawakening heart. Their connection may be magical, but it’s grounded in a believable warmth that anchors the more whimsical elements of the plot.  (I found that the less you tried to think ahead at how it would all work out, the better; this is, after all, a fantasy at the end of the day.)

As with most films in this genre, casting is critical.  Indeed, the strength of Hot Frosty lies in Chabert and Milligan’s chemistry, which brings authenticity to a story that could easily feel too shallow and solely reliant on its flights of fancy storytelling. Optimistic and refreshingly grounded, Chabert’s Kathy is cautious at first, still feeling the lingering sadness of someone moving on from loss.   Chabert’s journey to embody holiday cheer, though set against a lighthearted backdrop, carries real emotional weight, reminding viewers why she continues to reign in this genre. Never veering into caricature even when the script calls for some ferocious bits of mugging comedy, Milligan’s Jack is amiable and attractive, easily sidestepping the typical fish out of water trope while bringing a fresh perspective.

Surrounding Kathy and Jack is a quirky, supportive cast that adds humor and heart to their journey. Joe Lo Truglio’s (Pitch Perfect 2) Deputy Schatz is endearingly bumbling, adding levity in his interactions.  I enjoyed Katy Mixon Greer and Lauren Holly as women in town who meet Jack under very different circumstances.  I’m used to Mixon (Minions) being a bit bigger with her comedy and found the more restrained take on Dr. Dottie gave her more runway to play with.  Holly (Turbulence) plays it slightly vampy as the lusty woman in town who gets Jack to help her with work around the house sans shirt…but that’s as far as screenwriter Russell Hainline lets it get.  It turns out her character may truly be after Jack for his muscle and not his muscles.  Miller has been doing solid work for years in Canadian film and TV and she’s great again here as a shop owner trying to play matchmaker, not knowing how much she is helping Kathy by giving her the scarf.  Together, these supporting characters create a friendly backdrop, grounding the storyline with a sense of genuine community.

Director Jerry Ciccoritti does an admirable job balancing the movie’s more imaginative elements with an aesthetic that feels rooted in nostalgia. Filmed in Canada, Hot Frosty leverages pleasant, “snow”-covered landscapes and comfortable set designs that make the world of Hot Frosty feel quaintly timeless. Rather than inundating the screen with modern technology, Ciccoritti’s choice to avoid it allows the film to embrace an evergreen feel evoking the films of yesteryear, complete with vintage cars and old-fashioned decorations, that creates a warm familiarity and transcends today’s fast-paced digital world.

However, if one element feels slightly out of place, it’s a subplot involving Craig Robinson’s Sheriff and his overly suspicious investigation into Jack’s arrival.  (Unadorned with nothing but Kathy’s scarf, you’d think public nudity was a capital crime the way Robinson’s character carries on about it for 80-ish minutes).  Robinson (My Spy The Eternal City) leans into the character with comedic flair, but his determination to uncover the truth about Jack’s origins sometimes threatens to disrupt the relaxed tone that’s been established. While this subplot injects the bit of tension necessary and/or required for these scripts, it feels unnecessary in a story that’s otherwise focused on good vibes and love. Fortunately, these moments are minor and don’t detract from the film’s overarching themes of magical second chances during the holiday season.

Peppered with some nice jokes related to previous Netflix holiday efforts (they truly ARE trying to create a universe of their own!) as well as an amazing reference to one of Chabert’s previous films, watching Hot Frosty was a reminder that even the coldest season can hold a warmth all its own.  Delivering a timeless message about rediscovering love and joy in the face of loss, it wraps it in festive charm without downplaying the emotion or wallowing in layers of sadness.  So, grab a cozy blanket, settle in by the fire, and let Hot Frosty melt away your holiday blues with Chabert and Milligan’s performances, the well-cast supporting characters, and a novel approach to a familiar tale.