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First Snow

Play trailer Poster for First Snow R Released Mar 23, 2007 1h 41m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 72 Reviews 41% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Jimmy (Guy Pearce), a fast-talking salesman, has big ambitions. While selling flooring, he has an idea that will make him a rich man. His dreams come to a grinding halt when his car breaks down in a small desert town. To pass the time he seeks the advice of a roadside fortuneteller. Though at first the soothsayer's predictions are good, the session ends abruptly when the man pulls away in terror, for Jimmy is fated to die when the season's first snowflakes fall.
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First Snow

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Critics Consensus

In First Snow, an interesting premise gives way to a slow and tedious noir that adds little to the genre.

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Critics Reviews

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Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter A fresh, intelligent and thoroughly involving psychological thriller. Dec 4, 2007 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader I was beguiled by both the eerie moods and the striking compositions, which incorporate large stretches of empty space. Nov 27, 2007 Full Review Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune A smart, tense modern film noir. Rated: 3/4 Jun 30, 2007 Full Review Peter Keough Boston Phoenix Predictability hangs over Mark Fergus's skillful debut feature, but not enough to detract from the intensity of the mood, the rhythm, and the performances. Rated: 3/4 Apr 23, 2009 Full Review Louise Keller Urban Cinefile A first rate thriller, First Snow is about a man haunted by his past who revisits it in a bid to change his destiny. It's a terrific role for Guy Pearce, who ably carries the film on his shoulders Jan 29, 2009 Full Review Liz Braun Jam! Movies First Snow is an auspicious directorial debut for Mark Fergus. It will be interesting to see what he does next. Rated: 3.5/5 Jun 23, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Go 4 I Not too long at 90 + minutes and hints of Twilight Zone and that is a good thing. I found the dialogue to be authentic, Vincent in particular. Vincent sounded like people I have known. The actors were believable and characters were more than card board. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/10/25 Full Review Blu B It's boring more than anything despite a idea with good potential and interesting commentary about fate. The cinematography isn't good. It's dull to look at, lifeless lots of time, and at it's best it looks ok. None of the locations are that memorable either. The music is very lifeless and dull also and isn't good. The acting is ok and probably the best thing which makes sense given the cast. Guy really doesn't do that much and never really left much of an impression on me despite feeling like he's giving it his all. J.K. is great and probably the best thing. Everthing else ithough is subpar. The biggest issue is all the aspects of his life affected by the fortune telling like his wife, job, the fortune teller, the colleague he got fired, and Vincent feel all seperate and never work together to form a cohseive narrative. If you removed any one or two of those subplots really nothing would be lost except the runtime. I guess the Vincet storyline is the most important but you could almost remove the fortune teller main line and it wouldn't affect that much because he never really tells Vince about it. The end is just a whole lot of nothing and feels very anticlimatic. It's not well directed, the script isn't tight, and it's a missed opportunity for something unique. Skip this. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/13/24 Full Review DanTheMan 2 Abstract pretentiousness combined with bleak inevitability, First Snow is a real plod to get through with predictability hanging low over its head. It's a middling pedestrian thriller at its core but between the more sour aspects of its storytelling lies some dauntless attempt at earnestness. From an underused and subdued J.K. Simmions, Cliff Martinez's understated score and neat direction leave little room for interest throughout its runtime. First Snow marks so much missed potential that the sum of its parts isn't enough to satisfy most palm readings. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/24 Full Review Audience Member Não sei se faltou apego, empatia ou carisma, o que sei que apesar da tentativa forçada de ser dramática, com tons sombrios, fotografia escura, trilha melancolia, sonoplastia de mistério, não embalou, gostei da trama entruncada entre os ex amigos da infância, e o desfecho, os últimos 30 minutos valeu pelo filme, a verdade vindo a tona, a redenção com a confissão... Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review ronald h _First Snow_ is a tense thriller, but it's entirely psychological, with no violence to speak of. Alfred Hitchcock knew that what's going on in a character's mind can be more interesting than what's going on in reality--as he demonstrated so well in _Vertigo_. _First Snow_ doesn't rise to the level of that classic film, but it's well worth a watch. Because of its premise, there is an inexorable feel throughout _First Snow_ that we're moving toward something climactic. Vacaro, a fortune teller, played gracefully by J.K. Simmons, tells an arrogant, shifty salesman Jimmy Starks (Guy Pearce) that he will not live beyond the first snow in the upper desert of New Mexico--which, according to the weatherman on the radio, is coming soon. But he has no specific information about how Starks will die. Needless to say, Starks becomes paranoid and starts ruminating about things he's done in the past that might lead to his demise. There's one red herring, but he eventually realizes the real danger. The film is a slow burn. It patiently works its way to an ending that is both tragic and thought-provoking. Many critics thought the ending was contrived or not handled well. I disagree. I thought it was perfectly appropriate to the theme of fate versus choice in our lives. And I liked the way the ending was presented. It's not a big violent blow-up scene. It's quiet and straightforward, consistent with the whole feel of the film. Guy Pearce turns in a strong performance as a man whom we don't like at first because he's such a bullshitter, but as he suffers through his psychological torture, we find ourselves caring about his fate. Supporting actor William Fichtner, as Starks' fellow salesman Ed, is perfect as Starks' foil and buddy. Piper Perabo, as Starks' girlfriend, is adequate, but her part is under-written. We really know nothing about her. But maybe that's intentional. This movie is about one self-absorbed man's fate, and everyone else is peripheral. Action / thriller fans will hate this movie.Viewers who like subtle, psychological / existential movies will appreciate it. Definite 4 stars. By the way, in the last couple of minutes, note the pickup truck on the road when the radio announcer delivers the bad news. It looks like Vacaro's. Clever. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Starts promising but fizzles to not much. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/19 Full Review Read all reviews
First Snow

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jimmy (Guy Pearce), a fast-talking salesman, has big ambitions. While selling flooring, he has an idea that will make him a rich man. His dreams come to a grinding halt when his car breaks down in a small desert town. To pass the time he seeks the advice of a roadside fortuneteller. Though at first the soothsayer's predictions are good, the session ends abruptly when the man pulls away in terror, for Jimmy is fated to die when the season's first snowflakes fall.
Director
Mark Fergus
Producer
Bryan Furst, Sean Furst, Tom Lassally, Robyn Meisinger, Bob Yari
Screenwriter
Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
Distributor
Yari Film Group
Production Co
El Camino Pictures, Furst Films
Rating
R (Some Violence|Sexuality|Language)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 23, 2007, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 11, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$213.0K
Runtime
1h 41m
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