Worth: $8.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Katie Kelly, Paola Andino, Michael Lombardi, Evangeline Young, Joanne Baron
Intro:
a confronting, albeit troubling, depiction of adolescence and addiction.
There is rarely a moment of relief on offer in Bridget Smith’s conservative leaning, teen-drama, Sno Babies.
Its gritty depiction of spiralling addiction and teenage debauchery, delivered as a flurry of disturbing injection scenes, gaped mouth looks of concern, and bombastic rock ballads, is executed with a sensationalised flare that feels like it comes from the mind of a screenwriter who just learnt about TikTok.
The film’s ‘after school special’ qualities resemble the type of movie a Physical Education teacher would play on a rainy day. Its cautionary tale sensibilities favours fear-mongering over benevolence.
This would not be a problem if Sno Babies had something unique to say, or was presented compellingly. Instead, it rests on shock-value and thinly written characterisation that never surpasses the archetypes it wishes to transcend: the saintly teen with aspirations of college (Kristen, Katie Kelly), the toxic best friend/influence (Hannah, Paola Andino), the absent parents (Shannan Wilson and Ken Arnold), the wide-eyed sibling (Abbey Hafer), etc.
The characters who do fall outside this trope, including a doting couple who consider exploiting Kristen’s addiction for their own means, feel out of place. Their inclusion detracts from Kristen’s experience, and more-or-less serves as a convenient mechanic for the film to rescue characters that experience the consequences of their vices.
Kudos ought to be given to the actors; their performances remain committed to overcoming the melodramatic dialogue; an act they do so with aplomb.
Delivering subtlety with the grace of a Fisherman’s Friend being chased with a shot of Listerine, Sno Babies provides a confronting, albeit troubling, depiction of adolescence and addiction.
