[Film Review] Red Snow (2021)

Season’s Bleedings!

Red Snow (2021) follows aspiring novelist Olivia Romo (Dennice Cisneros), who is alone in her family’s cabin around Christmas. She is enjoying the time to herself to drink tea, read vampire stories, write vampire stories, and decorate her Christmas tree with vampire ornaments. She has a drawer full of rejection letters from publishing companies, but she hasn’t given up her dream of being a fulltime novelist. Her life suddenly gets much more interesting when she rescues an injured bat, who - surprise! - turns into a vampire! Her new vampire friend, Luke (Nico Bellamy), gives Olivia some notes on her book as they start to flirt and form a friendship. Olivia is swept up in the real world of vampires, and suddenly has to navigate vampire hunters, other vampires who may want to hurt her, and whatever her relationship with Luke may or may not be. This film evenly blends classic vampire tropes we know and love with enough new twists to keep you guessing. 

The movie tells you what it is right away. The opening shots are a wintry, Christmassy scene that results in vampires splattering blood. No doubt about it, we’re watching a Christmas vampire movie! Olivia’s cabin is decked-out in holiday decorations, and the home looks lived-in and the set has thoughtful texture. Not only does the story take place around the Christmas holiday but it uses Christmas as a part of the story. At one point, someone notes that Olivia’s neighbors are  out of town for the festive period, meaning that Olivia is by herself in the woods. At another scene, a character calls for the emergency services and the timing of Christmas makes it hard to get help. Olivia has an advent calendar, to count down the days until Christmas, and each window she opens feels like a countdown to something sinister. 

Red Snow is a perfect mix of creeping suspense, comedy, and awkward interactions. The comedy comes from the interactions between Luke and Olivia. When they first speak, Olivia starts rambling about getting Luke some clothes, and he says, “No pants. Blood.” This line made me chuckle, as it felt like a nod to the sexy vampire trend, even though that’s not where Olvia’s mind went at that moment. She is so excited to meet a “real life vampire” that she forgets that she should be scared and starts asking him about the rules - garlic, holy water, etc. Olivia is cutesy and domestic, warming up mugs of pig’s blood for Luke and giving him clothes to wear. When he offers notes on her manuscript, he gives suggestions to make the vampire more realistic, and they have some charming back-and-forth about what vampires are really like. Meanwhile, there is something sinister lurking in the background. A vampire hunter from a shady organization shows up at her door and warns Olivia that she is in danger, and we know there are other vampires hunting around her house. It made me want to warn Olivia to stay vigilant and not get too comfortable with Luke.

Red Snow is a fun, satisfying blend of vampires and Christmas, comedy and suspense. Put this on your winter watch-lists and enjoy some blood and gore in the snow!

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