When you tune into a cozy Christmas rom-com, you can expect a few things. Lots of snow. A quaint small town that seems unstuck from time. A plucky heroine who owns a small business but, for whatever reason, is alone this holiday season. And a hunky man who is the magical answer to her loneliness. The new Netflix film “Hot Frosty,” starring Lacey Chabert and Dustin Milligan, has all of the above and a much deeper understanding of how mutual respect and personal growth can be just as hot as lusty love at first sight. 

Set in the impossibly small town of Hope Springs, the film begins with a narrator letting us know from the start that we are in a “Christmas Fairytale” as a magical burgundy scarf blows across the snowy town square. We then meet Kathy (Chabert), who lives alone in a slightly dilapidated Victorian home. A photo of a couple on the mantle and Kathy’s sad demeanor indicate she has recently loved and lost. Kathy owns a diner, Kathy’s Kafe, which serves as a social hub for the community. She seems to feed everyone in town, including Mel (Sherry Miller) and Theo (Dan Lett), who own the vintage store across the square. Mel bequeaths the magical scarf to Kathy, telling her it’s time to go back out into the cold in order to find some warmth. 

What Kathy finds instead is a chiseled snowman amongst the snow sculpture competition on the square. The wistful Kathy takes in this snowman Adonis, the only Christmas creation without a scarf around its neck. Always one to give to others, Kathy places the scarf around its neck. After she leaves a flurry of snow and CGI brings the sculpted snowman, fully nude aside from the tastefully large scarf, to life. That night Jack (Milligan) names himself after the name tag on a pair of coveralls he steals from the vintage store. The next morning he is taken in by Kathy, who hides him from the town Sheriff (Craig Robinson) and his Deputy (Joe Lo Truglio), who are looking for the streaker who broke the store’s window. You might think you can guess where the film goes from here. 

And you’d be partially right. While two form a bond as Jack attempts to lay low from the law, none of their interactions feel forced for the sake of shoehorned romance, instead the film largely focuses on the strength that can be found in a meaningful friendship. Milligan plays Jack with the same wide-eyed, big-hearted puppy dog energy that he brought to Ted, the vet with a heart of gold on “Schitt’s Creek.” While he could have gone big with this magical character in the vein of Will Ferrell in “Elf,” Milligan chooses a more laid-back sweetness, reminiscent of Brendan Fraser in “George of the Jungle” or Jeff Goldblum in “Earth Girls Are Easy.” Although his ridiculous good looks become a sort of joke as the town’s older women, Lauren Holly amongst them, lust over his physique, they aren’t really a factor in the burgeoning relationship between Jack and Kathy. 

When Jack first comes to life, it seems the only word he knows is ‘love.’ He loves the snow. He loves soup. He loves her. Kathy pushes back, insisting that when you say you love someone, it means something much more. Jack listens intently, taking it all in. As he slowly learns how Kathy lost her husband, the gravity of what she said sinks in, and he learns truly what it means to love someone. For her part, Chabert plays Kathy understated, a woman with a big heart heavy with grief—someone who keeps going for the sake of others but has practically given up on herself. Meeting someone like Jack, whose whole existence is to fill the world with joy and lend a helping hand where he can, gives her a ray of hope once again. Together, they grow as people first and a couple second. 

That’s because romantic love is not the only kind of love on this film’s mind. It knows that love of one’s community, of one’s neighbors, and most importantly of oneself, is important and fulfilling. As Jack learns more about the world, he begins using his skills to help others. Cooking dinner for Kathy escalates to learning how to fix her leaking roof to slowly becoming the town’s handyman. Inspired by Kathy’s own altruism, Jack decides helping others is worth the risk of being caught by the Sheriff. Despite his mysterious origins the town itself just accepts him, snowman or not, rallying to keep him safe. As one woman puts it, “A man that sweet must be magical.”

A top tier holiday film in its own right, the film has the requisite nods to previous films in the Netflix Holiday Movie Universe, including a mention of Aldovia from the “Christmas Prince” movies and a tongue-in-cheek moment where Kathy watches “Falling For Christmas” and notes that the star (Lindsay Lohan) looks “just like a girl she went to high school with.” In terms of its themes and overall quality, it reminded me of the excellent and underrated time travel romance “The Knight Before Christmas.”

Like that earlier film, “Hot Frosty” is goofy and sweet and magical. It knows exactly who its audience is and gifts them with a perfectly cozy Capra-esque fantasy where romance is founded in friendship and respect, communities rally around their most vulnerable, people are willing to call cops out on their abuse of power, and mutual aid is just a way of life. Sounds like bliss to me. 

Arts & Leisure

“The Teachers’ Lounge” was one of this year’s Best Foreign Film nominees — though its closely observed drama set inside a contemporary seventh-grade German classroom could have easily been American.  The film’s protagonist, idealistic young teacher Carla Novak, is new to the school, but she soon finds herself pressured by other teachers to identify which of her students might be responsible for a series of thefts from the teachers’ lounge.

Review: A Real Encounter attempts to intertwine real-life inspiration with a fictional narrative, drawing from Gujarat’s controversial anti-terrorism operations in 2002. The film centers around a dramatic encounter in which four terrorists are killed, including Muskan (Bratuti Ganguly), a seemingly innocent college student from Mumbai. The plot raises the pivotal question: Was Muskan an innocent victim of the circumstance, or was she unknowingly or willingly caught up in a terrorist plot?

The film’s premise is intriguing, exploring the blurry line between truth and propaganda surrounding police encounters that often remain shrouded in controversy. The central question about Muskan’s involvement—and whether she was a manipulated pawn, or complicit in the terror plot—has the potential for a nuanced exploration of the socio-political climate of the time. However, the execution leaves much to be desired.

While the film’s first half focuses on the intense police encounters, the second half shifts to a more personal, character-driven narrative about Muskan’s gradual descent into radicalism. This shift feels awkward and unconvincing, as the pacing becomes disjointed and struggles to maintain emotional engagement. There is little exploration into Muskan’s motivations or the external forces that may have shaped her decisions. A more thorough examination of her character and the socio-political pressures of the time could have made the film more impactful.

Sabir Shaikh’s direction lacks the necessary polish to carry the weight of the narrative. There is an overuse of close-up shots and shaky camera work that undermines the intensity of key action sequences. The poorly choreographed gunfights and lack of realism further detract from the dramatic tension. Additionally, abrupt jump cuts between scenes disrupt the flow, creating a disjointed viewing experience. The background score is another problem—loud and intrusive, it often clashes with the mood of the scenes, further intensifying the discomfort of watching.

Bratuti Ganguly, in her debut role as Muskan, delivers a competent performance but struggles to fully embody her character due to an underdeveloped script. The police officers—Ehsaan Khan (ADG Rathore), Shahbaaz Khan (Arjun Ranade), and Rishikesh Tiwari (Varun Barot)—are convincing but are constrained by their lack of complexity. Even Waseem (Akhilesh Verma), who befriends Muskan and plays a key role in her involvement with terrorism, follows a predictable character arc that lacks intrigue.

Supporting characters like Muskan’s uncle (Mushtaq Khan) and Raza Murad (the advocate seeking justice) are left underdeveloped, overshadowed by the film’s uneven pacing. Their presence feels more like an afterthought than integral parts of the narrative.

In conclusion, A Real Encounter is a missed opportunity. While the concept could have made for a thought-provoking and gripping film, the lack of cohesive storytelling, shaky cinematography, and overblown background score detract from its potential. This is definitely not the film you want to encounter this weekend.