Honestly, snow has the power to do some crazy things. On Monday, for example, it allowed us to get out of school fifteen minutes early when we were already on a shortened schedule that day. And last year, its presence encouraged a whopping total of thirteen snow days to be called. 

Snow definitely has some annoying aspects, such as its ability to inhibit travel and freeze pipes; however, the beauty that lies within steady-falling snow is arguably unmatched—and makes up for that. 

The stunning characteristics of a blizzard are featured in the Netflix film Let it Snow. Through inhibiting travel by covering a small town in Illinois in a thick blanket of white, snow encourages relationships to unexpectedly develop and intertwine. Although the connections between characters become confusing at points, the overall message that actions have a domino-effect from one person to another person is very clear. 

The events of Let it Snow all occur on Christmas Eve and involve protagonist-pairs Julie and Stuart, Tobin and Angie, and Addie and Dorrie. The group’s experiences of preparing for Christmas each occur in different places; however, by the conclusion of the movie, they all reunite at the town’s local Waffle House for a lively party. 

Julie and Stuart are the first pair to attend the Waffle House on Christmas Eve; they go there for breakfast in the early afternoon once they escape from their delayed train. As Julie and Stuart share breakfast, they share personal facts about themselves: Stuart is struggling with the loneliness that accompanies being a famous musician, and Julie is struggling between attending college in New York or remaining at home to care for her ill mom. 

The next pair, Tobin and Angie, are struggling with revealing their feelings for each other on Christmas Eve. The pair have been best friends since they were children and Tobin experiences pressure from his other best friend, Keon, to finally make a move. Tobin is terrified of getting friend-zoned by Angie, and once Angie asks him to attend JP’s party with her, his turmoil increases. The pair eventually ends up at the Waffle House to deliver a keg for Keon’s party. 

The final pair, Addie and Dorrie, are longtime best friends as well. Dorrie is working at the Waffle House on Christmas Eve, and Addie makes an appearance at the restaurant twice in the movie. The first time, Addie catches her boyfriend on a double date with another girl and receives a lecture from Dorrie about her desire for attention from people who do not truly love her. The second time, Addie delivers a pig to Dorie as an apology for how she acted that day. 

Although each pair shares a unique relationship, the chemistry between each pair fell short of believable. If the actors portrayed their specific emotions just a little further, the love that is supposed to be felt between each character would have been completely sold to viewers. 

I have also have seen the majority of the protagonists in other productions: both of the new Spider-Man movies, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and each of the Descendants movies. Recognizing a majority of the protagonists from shows and movies targeted at younger age groups discouraged me from perceiving their characters as mature teenagers. 

And although Let it Snow is based on a book by the insanely talented author John Green, Let it Snow fell short of the quality and emotion that his other book-to-movie adaptations offer. The Fault in our Stars and Paper Towns are works of art whose actors were able to portray difficult, unimaginable emotions and whose themes still give me chills when I think about them. 

Unfortunately, Let it Snow was unable to produce the same effects. Truly, it was simply a feel-good Christmas movie that told a heartwarming story about the happiness and love that accompanies Christmastime.

Instead of runny mascara being spread across my face at the end of it—like every time I view The Fault in Our Stars— I had a genuine, content smile that fit the mood of Christmastime.