Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Well, at least this Christmas offering is faithful to its playful title – it’s all about a hot snow-sculpture that comes to life.
Created by Jerry Ciccoritti (director) and Russell Hainline (writer), the 2024 movie Hot Frosty follows Kathy Barrett (Lacey Chabert), a grieving widow who runs a cozy café and has lost her faith in love and ‘happily ever after’ endings. But when she wraps a beautiful scarf around a snowman, it magically comes to life—as a handsome young man (Dustin Milligan). Jack, the living snowman, helps Kathy rediscover the joy of sharing, caring, and loving during Christmas.
When Jack comes to life, he’s completely naked except for the beautiful scarf conveniently covering his family jewels (shoutout to Dan Da Dan for re-introducing me to that phrase). His washboard abs hit the screen like the first snowfall of the year. However, Jack is quickly spotted by an elderly couple, and soon the local cops—Sheriff Nathaniel Hunter (Craig Robinson) and Deputy Ed (Joe Lo Truglio)—are after him for streaking and stealing clothes. Luckily, Kathy finds him first. Mistaking him for a scantily dressed drifter with mental health issues, she names him Jack and advises him to keep a low profile.
But Jack, a cheery adult-baby and a true “Christmas miracle,” can’t keep low and loves helping everyone around him, befriending all the elderly ladies in town and assisting the local school with its decorations. Yet the question remains: will Jack be arrested for streaking, simply melt away, or find a way to make a lasting romance with Kathy possible?
For a light Christmas romance, Hot Frosty is quite fun in the first half, especially when Jack learns the ways of being human and immediately tells Kathy, “I love you,” on his very first day, for giving him food. He is like a stray one rescues from the street. “No, you don’t love me. People don’t fall in love so quickly,” Kathy patiently teaches him. It takes time to warm up to Jack, in some bits Dustin Milligan’s portrayal of a snowman-turned-human reminded me of Brendan Fraser’s 1992 comedy Encino Man, about a frozen caveman learning the ways of the modern world—a movie I hadn’t thought about in years! Like Encino Man, I wish this film had focused more on friendship than romance, as the interactions between Kathy and Jack feel more sibling-like than romantic. Kathy’s maternal approach to teaching Jack the ways of the world would have made for a heartwarming story about how friendship can heal emotional wounds—especially since the romance is confined to just a few days around Christmas.
The climactic moments of Hot Frosty are cringey, the romance doesn’t land right, but the film delivers plenty of comedic highlights. Craig Robinson and Joe Lo Truglio are hilarious as the bumbling cop duo chasing Jack around town. If you’re in the mood for a Hallmark-style Christmas movie—lighthearted and entertaining for a one-time watch—Hot Frosty fits the bill. It might not melt your heart, but it’ll certainly give you a few laughs.
Rating: 5/10. Hot Frosty is streaming now on Netflix.
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