Jo Nesbø is a best selling Norwegian author who has written more than 20 novels to date. By far, his most successful works are his Harry Hole novels. At first glance, Michael Fassbender looks to be a great casting choice for the tough detective, but as we did deeper into this complex character, will Fassbender flourish or will he flop. As things heat up, The Snowman looks to cool off its box office competition.

Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) is a man who is suffering as he looks to shake off some past demons. Although he is a detective in Oslo’s Crime Squad, he still cannot solve his biggest mystery of all, what exactly ails poor Harry? In shaking off the latest cobwebs from his absence from his unit, Harry gets mixed up in a deadly hunt for a killer that seems to enjoy what he (or she) is doing. As we learn more details of these crimes, the motives become clearer and the truth is just around the corner. Harry goes all out to stop this cold-hearted serial killer. But can he wrap this mystery up before more bodies are wrapped up in body bags.

The promos for The Snowman do a masterful job of selling the idea of a crime drama. There’s action, intrigue and, of course, murder. The really good thing is that all of these clips did not ruin the integrity of the plot. Sure, some people that are planning on catching this one in theaters have already read the novel and are eagerly awaiting its release. The majority however, will be going into it like every other movie, only knowing what they’ve seen and read. Expectations will be high. The harsh reality will lead to some disappointment. Martin Scorsese is one of the 500, well maybe I’m exaggerating a little, producers involved in bringing this picture to life. You never know what you’re going to get when he’s involved. The director is Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)), who often works a deliberate (read: SLOW) pace.

The acting was average, maybe even mildly disappointing when you take into consideration what some of these performers have done in the past. Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, J.K. Simmons and Chloë Sevigny all turn in underwhelming performances. Tools were available to finish the job, but when you use a hammer on screws to get the job done, you’re going to ruin something. It would be interesting to hear what the novel fanbase will collectively have to say about The Snowman’s casting. I would imagine that they will also find the movies execution to be lacking.

After sitting through two hours of disjointed storytelling, you might want to find a shovel of your own and bury this mess of a movie. At times you’ll get your hopes up when it looks like it MIGHT be going somewhere, then reality happens. The Snowman is as cold and unremarkable as its settings and you should totally avoid this trap. I’ll give them credit for creating commercials that make this thriller look worthy. As it turns out, worthless might be a more accurate description. Don’t even bother, even if you’re bored. Even Michael Fassbender cannot straighten out this mess. Skip skip skip.