Blood in the Snow

A charming throwback to teenage awkwardness in the mid 2000s, Blood in the Snow stars Sam Teague and Kai Turner as Wilhelm and Pluto, two school friends who take on a case to investigate reports of a shapeshifter in the wilderness. The film has an eccentric energy and is often very funny. While it’s very clear that it’s the directorial debut of Teague and Joseph Jeavons, Blood in the Snow is an admirable effort. The filmmaking is crude and the pace occasionally drags, but overall there’s a unique and immensely likeable quality to the film that audiences may be won over by.

Blood in the Snow has a sharp script where the comedy really shines. It’s helped in great part thanks to the great chemistry between Teague and Turner who bounce off each other with ease. Turner especially has an enormous amount of charisma as Pluto who is equal parts endearing and sincere. He plays second fiddle to Wilhelm who takes on a pretty overbearing role as the de facto leader of the two friends. The dynamic between the two characters is reminiscent of the character dynamics found in Wes Anderson’s filmography, Wilhelm feeling particularly inspired by Jason Schwartzman’s Max Fischer in Rushmore. The two are somewhat socially ostracized from their peers, and they appear to spend most of their time socializing with the local eccentrics. The sillier side characters such as Keith (Bobby Bye) didn’t always feel cohesive in the world, and while it should be clear to audiences what their narrative purpose is, the comedy feels less confident when the reins are taken away from Teague and Turner. Blood in the Snow is at its most interesting and comfortable when Wilhelm and Pluto are navigating the usual pitfalls of teenage boys at school, playing into the awkwardness of being the ‘weird kids’, as well as the challenge of girls driving a wedge between them.

While the performances and the script are generally solid, Blood in the Snow could have used more dynamic filmmaking methods to keep audiences invested. Some scenes drag on without a cut for far too long, the handheld camera floating with uncertainty between two characters. It can sometimes create a lethargic pace which doesn’t compliment the punchy, staccato back and forth between the characters. It’s a shame because the script is really begging for the filmmaking to keep up, and it creates a tonal dissonance. The result is that the film looks to be lacking in energy. Audiences would do well to remember that this is the directorial debut of 19 year old university students, but it must be said that the filmmaking lacks youthful vigor.

Jeavons and Teague have done well to capture the mood of 2005 in their film, intelligently using their limited budget to create a real sense of time and place. Blood in the Snow is ultimately a heartwarming narrative of awkward friendships and being an outsider at a tender time of life. It’s a respectable effort for the most part. The ending arguably undercuts the main themes, and audiences may find it jars with the rest of the film. Having said that, the film is genuinely funny, and the feeling that the filmmakers had a blast making Blood in the Snow really shines through.