I knew Michael Fassbender spent a good chunk of 2016 on location, filming The Snowman. I didn’t really pay much attention to the idea of the film, which is based on a popular novel by Norwegian crime-writer Jo Nesbø. As it turns out, the film is just the kind of gory serial killer movie that I love. I loathe most horror films, where someone in a mask is carving up sorority girls. But I LOVE crime stories, detective stories and serial-killer-investigation stories. So now I think I should probably read the book before I watch the movie, because YIKES this movie looks terrifying and gory and suspenseful and crazy. The trailer was released on Wednesday and I was shocked! Shocked, I tell you. Shocked that Fassy made a movie that actually looks good. NSFW-ish for blood and gore.
Fassy plays Detective Harry Hole. Rebecca Ferguson – a shape-shifting Swedish actress who looks different in every movie – plays Det. Hole’s partner, I think. Chloe Sevigny is in there. Charlotte Gainsbourg is in there. James D’Arcy, Toby Jones and Val Kilmer (??????) are in there. And JK Simmons is doing one of the dodgiest accents I’ve ever heard, and it is glorious.
So, what do you think? Will this be the Scandinavian noir embraced by American audiences? The English-language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a disappointment at the box office, but I really do think this one might get some traction. Let’s hope! Because Fassy sort of needs a hit movie. He still has to prove to Hollywood that he can be the lead of a financially successful film (the X-Men movies don’t really count, plus the last one came and went with little fanfare).
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.
I saw this yesterday. I thought it look pretty interesting. I’ll go see it.
Everyone please read the Harry Hole books!!! They’re absolutely incredible!!! Everyone I’ve told about the novels loves them as well and I’ve had 3 people on the subway talk to me about how great they are once they’ve seen me reading them.
To anyone whose already read these novels and looking for something similar, there’s a series by Jussi Adler-Olsen involving a detective Carl Morck, and they’re pretty good as well. Not as good as Harry Hole but similar
Best stories ever. I’m on latest: The Thirst. Scandinavian noir is the best.
Have read both Nesboe and Adler-Olsen. I recommend the Guilt by the latter. Mindblowingly interesting, have no words. Will look for more of JN and JAO – I bought all my Scandinavian noir books (about 10 so far) in airports so far. No travel this summer but I shall find some new ones. Scandinavian noir is the beeeest.
There are also some good noir/police Scandinavian series on Netflix but where I am, subtitles in English are not provided. So I have to remember some Swedish I learned a few years ago and use a dictionary to find words from the subtitles. Takes a long time to see an entire chapter but for me it’s worth it.
ive read all of them as well, the wallander series, Hakkan Nesser (inspector van veeteren mysteries) Karin Fossum (Inspector Sejer series) Camilla Lackberg series.
good scandinavian stuff (and noir from other countries) on netflix and amazon and hulu etc is:
The case (iceland)
Borgen (denmark)
Annika Bengtzon crime reporter (sweden)
Alpine House (amazon prime, Estonia)
Witnesses (France)
The break (belgium)
Lava Fields (Iceland)
The bridge (denmark/sweden SO GOOD)
And finally, the best thing I have seen in AGES is Fortitude on Amazon Prime. Holy Sh$t is it good.
@bros thanks so so so so much for the recommendations. Will check and see what’s available. Thanks again!!!
Thanks to @bros for the Nordic noir list! Have seen a lot of these and have noted the others for future watching. The Tunnel (British/French, now in season 2 on PBS) is also good, though clearly a copy of The Bridge. I would also recommend The Disappearance (French), now on Acorn. Terrific TV. And Nesbo is wonderful, at least as good as Stieg Larssen.
I am *living* for all these recommendations! Thank you, everyone!
I’ve been working my way through this genre for some time, and I’d also add to the list:
The Viper and The Intruder by Håkan Östlundh
Åke Edwardson’s Erik Winter series
and I’ve just read two of Jorn Lier Horst’s William Wisting series
The Snowman was the first Jo Nesbø book I read, and I still remember several moments quite clearly that would be chilling to see on screen!
@ bros The Bridge broke my heart. Sheer perfection in my eyes. Borgen was excellent as well.
Scandinavian crime novels are THE BEST. I just got Cockroaches (Jo Nesbo), The Waters Edge (Karin Fossum), The Girl In The Ice & The Hanging (both by Lotte and Soren Hammer a sister and brother team from Denmark) from the library.
Jar City is by Arnuldur Indridason an Icelandic author. It was his first novel and is excellent.
My favorite Scandinavian noir writer is Jim Thompson, who was born in the US but lived in Finland and wrote the Detective Kari Vaara series. He wrote four books and I was heartbroken to find out he passed away. Check out the four books: Snow Angels, Lucifer’s Tears, Helsinki White and Helsinki Blood. They’re all excellent.
Also, you have to read Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander series and watch the Swedish versions of the TV series with Krister Henriksson as Wallander. Kenneth Branagh’s BBC version doesn’t come close to Henriksson’s.
How did Fassy manage the accent? He usually goes full Kerry-bogger by the end of the film if left to his own devices.
Despite your name, that’s a fairly derogatory way of describing him.
Well, I thought that saying “full Healy-Rae” would be insulting 🙄.
I’m excited.
I love the Harry Hole books and the casting looks pretty good.
The books are great, I would highly recommend them. I think I will check out the movie too.
I’m with you Kaiser, 100%. Ordering the book today (I’m still a paper book lover).
Great cast and of course Fassy (swoon).
Enjoy the book! It’s good – goes in all sorts of directions and is a really thrilling read.
I looked at the books on Amazon yesterday after seeing the trailer. Should I start with book one or can I read the book in which the movie is based on, which is like 7 in the series.
As a taster for the film you can go for a cold open and dive straight in with the Snowman, but if you prefer to grow with/get to know the character and his foibles start at the beginning. I started with The Snowman and really liked it even though I hadn’t lived with the character before and it didn’t ruin my reading of the other books in the series either. Enjoy, whatever your choice may be. 🙂
This looks appropriately scary, although I have to be honest, scandinavian noir lost its attraction to me: it’s always too much – Nazis, pedophilia, satanic rituals, political conspiracies, serial killers working in pairs – all in one book. At some point it stops being scary and becomes ridiculous.
I feel the same.
This. I strongly agree. That said, The Snowman looks good and I will see it and hope it’s not too crammed full of plot devices that are bizarre for the sake of shock value and nothing more.
I like movies like this.. but damn I couldn’t put my finger on what is bother me.. then it hit me. The dialogue is horrible. Just so stereotypical and extremely predictable. I still may see it. Or wait for it to hit TV
I think it’s the voice-over maybe… I found it unnecessary.
I agree. I’ve read the book years ago but I saw this trailer the other day and I thought it looked bad. I couldn’t figure out why the trailer looked so off. I thought it looked too generic, overwrought and cliched, tbh. I’m also, to be fair to the movie/trailer, not a fan of Fassbender, so it could be that too.
I feel the same about the trailer, though I am a Fassbender fan, oh dear. There are times when I don’t like a movie trailer but I like the movie.
I will watch the movie because i LOVED the book. But then, I am a huge fan of Scandinavian noir, my choice of books when I travel.
There is another Jo Nesbo on my bookshelf waiting for me to read it. Happy Pumpkin.
I Agree. The books are fun reads, but Harry Hole is kind of a trope – a conflicted, alcoholic “maverick” who ends up hurting those he loves the most, etc, etc. They are worth reading, but if you read Scandi noir you’ve def read better.
I agree. If the horrible voice over is an indication of the level of dialogue in the film, I’m going to pass. That was basic with a capital b.
I really liked the book but can’t remember most of the plot (I read it when it came out and I was 14, haha). The most successful Norwegian film ever was based on one of Nesbø’s books so there’s a reason to be hopeful!
I’ll definitely go to the cinema to see this and not just wait for it to come out on DVD.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo wasn’t a huge flop, it probably made its money back and then some. For me, the remake was doomed from the start. The original was pretty successful outside of Scandinavia and Noomi was widely considered to be a great Lisbeth. When the remake came out rather soon after the first trilogy I just didn’t see the point. Same with Let the Right One In.
Valois, you must be talking about Headhunters. First I say the movie (with subtitles), then saw it again a few months later that much I loved it. I got to read the book too. For me the movie was a lot better than the book. Some differences between the book and the dramatization. All this said, Headhunters (Hodejegerne) is one of the best movies I have seen in my life. Totally, totally recommend it to anyone out there who’s not seen it yet. It’s excellent. It really is!
This trailer doesn’t look too bad but I don’t know if I would want to watch it in theaters. It looks more like something to watch at home on a Saturday night. I’ll probably end up seeing it because my Irish ginger husband needs as much support as possible. Maybe he should just go back to doing small to mid range films. Or he can switch it up and do something on American TV. Isn’t Steve McQueen’s project with HBO back on since they cancelled Vinyl?
I don’t think I am going to touch the books. I always come away disappointed with the movie adaptation.
I think the McQueen HBO project, Codes of Conduct, was scrapped in early 2016 after a pilot had been shot. This was before Vinyl’s cancellation last summer. Around the same time, HBO shut down production of Westworld and the forthcoming Lewis and Clark miniseries as well.
This looks like a great thriller, anyway I hope it does well at the box office. October is an awards season month but it also a date were movies especially thrillers are expected to bring nice numbers at the box office.
I read this book a couple of years ago, and then went on to read the others in the Harry Hole series. This looks great–I’ll go see it in the theater. But not at night!
I read “The Snowman” ! It’s FANTASTIC ! I can’t wait for the movie !
Fassy is giving off serious Burt Lancaster vibes in some of those scenes. Film looks interesting.
I might go, mostly for Charlotte Gainsbourg. And JK Simmons. And Toby Jones.
The element of interest for me [other than Fassbender] is the director Tomas Alfredson. He directed LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY.
“Harry Hole” is a really bad name for a character, I don’t know if I can take it seriously. And “Snowman killer”, that just doesn’t sound scary at all.
Hahahaha!! The choice of name is not the best in what regards the English speaking audience. In Norwegian the character’s name is pronounced ‘Hoo-le with a soft “e” at the end.
Fassy is best in these drama types of films, not romantic leading man types. Also, he has been photographed with Alicia Vikander on their vacation all over Europe. Love them together.
No, no no, he is not my Harry!!! My Harry is super tall and lean, blond and bloodshot eyes, with a rock n roll dissipation to his look.
Agreed. Harry looks more like Jo Nesbo not AC’s Walter. Why didnt he try to look more like book’s description? in the other, Rebecca looks great.
This looks pretty good. Fassy ❤️❤️❤️
I LOVE JO Nesbo and am so excited that this is coming … more Harry Hole please!
I’m so excited! I saw Jo Nesbø’s “Headhunters” with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau a couple of years ago an LOVED it. Hopefully this movie is as good as “Headhunters”. Plus I would really, really, really enjoy another wonderful movie with Fassbender after all this years 🙂
@The Yes Girl – yes yes yes re: Headhunters! Glad to see there is someone here on this thread who’s loved it too!
I liked it so much, that I went twice to the movie theatre to watch it 🙂
The books are fantastic. This looks like it translated into a very generic thriller from CBS crimes shows. And how many cliches can you make the characters say in just two minutes? This is giving me strong critical and commercial flop vibes despite the parties involved.
Same to all the comments above. I’ve read all of Nesbo’s books and they are FANTASTIC. The Snowman was my first and I am thrilled for this movie.
I’ve liked and enjoyed the Harry Holes up to The Leopard, but I agree with a former poster, the tormented, alcoholic, maverick cop tends to become a trope after a while.
Isn’t The Snowman the 6th or 7th of the series though? I sense a botched job with the character development in this one. Apart from the suspense dimension, characters, relationships evolve through the series….
I’d like to see someone tackling the Deon Meyer’s books. Michelle Rowe, Roger Smith or Mike Nicol: I get my polars from SA these last couple of years.
I am not sure about this. On one hand – a good, captivating detective story with clues is greatand it looks kind of stylish but that also is a problem – it looks like the case of glorification of violence, making something like serial killing sexy and beautiful.
Love Jo Nesbo’s books! Read all of the Harry Hole series (to-date and hoping there are more to come). If you love thrillers, give them a read 🙂
I’ll probably watch it. And I might even read the book, but, as usual women as victim women as target etc etc etc. Our society seems to be inured to this sort of thing. It’s exhausting being a woman sometimes and noticing that “entertainment” always has you in the crosshairs.
THIS is still the main reason why I come here, the heads up for good, interesting movies and books. This site never disappoints. This movie looks soo good, and I can’t begin to name the countless movies and books I have learned about from this site.
good gossip too, but its always more than just that here.
I don’t post much but I am lurking.
Why would anyone want to spend good money on a horrible murder film that’s gonna creep you out and make you feel terrible? I’ll be over here in Cinema 2 watching La La Land lol
I agree that this looks completely creepy. It actually felt some shivers. I too want to read the book now.
Sh*t! Now I will be terrified not only of clowns but snowmen! Who thought snowmen could be creepy AF? And I live in the snowy north. 😬⛄️