As a certified Hallmark movie lover, I have spent my winter months lounging around my house, watching these corny movies for as long as I can remember. They all have the same basic plot: meet a guy, find out some big conflict they need to work together to solve, end up falling in love, another conflict splits them up, and then they get back together surprisingly fast to end the movie. And recently released movies, like Hot Frosty, the recent release on Netflix, check all those boxes. However, Hot Frosty makes all previous Christmas movies less interesting and funny.
Hot Frosty revolves around the life of Kathy Barrett (Lacey Chabert), a cafe owner and widow living in the small town of Hope Springs, New York. One day, she finds a realistic snow sculpture in her town square and, by giving it an unknowingly enchanted scarf, brings it to life overnight. The snowman, later named Jack (Dustin Milligan), ends up meeting Kathy, and the movie tells their story of love and adventure as they navigate the odd situation that is Jack’s “birth.”
Although the idea of this movie seems silly, the underlying message is actually kind of deep. Jack’s kindness and naivety help heal Kathy’s heart after the death of her husband. Because of Jack’s unveiled love for the world, and for her, he helps teach Kathy that she can be someone she loves without her former husband, which was something she was clearly struggling with throughout the movie. This is something that many people struggle with around the holiday: enjoying the spirit of Christmas with the loss of someone precious hanging around.
One main part of the movie that might turn some people off is the basis of the movie. Why, you might ask, should I take an hour and a half of my time to watch a movie about a “hot” snow sculpture come to life? Well, I would like to post the claim that not all Christmas movies have to be serious. I personally love a little corniness to my holiday movies. And, a little Christmas spirit often comes with a couple of unbelievable acts and miracles.
I personally think that this movie is one of the best Christmas movies on Netflix that I have seen in a very long time. It was so funny and cute, and Kathy and Jack had such an interesting and silly dynamic that kept me entertained. You never knew what was going to happen because of Jack’s naivety, the funny obsessive nature of some side character old people, and the corny, controlling yet endearing nature of Sheriff Hunter (Craig Robinson), who played another key role throughout the story. The actors did their jobs amazingly, and they were mostly realistic, with that classic Hallmark-style acceptance of odd things and how most people would react when finding out that the guy they found roaming their town was an actual snowman come to life.
This movie is an automatic recommendation for me if you even think you like a Hallmark-style movie. I have already told all of my friends and my workout coach that they need to watch it to absorb the perfect amount of Christmas spirit and romance movie corniness.
