”The Snow Sister” Directed by Cecilie Askeland Mosli

“The Snow Sister” Movie Poster
Credit: Netflix

“The Snow Sister,” a Norwegian film based on the bestselling children’s book of the same name by Maja Lunde and Lisa Aisato, has recently started streaming on Netflix for the holidays. Like many Christmas movies, this film is rich with traditional holiday imagery, thanks to the Nordic winter wonderland in which it’s set. There is even a perky little curly-headed girl named Hedvig, whose love of the holiday would infect anyone with the Christmas Spirit. But if you’re looking for your next feel-good holiday flick, this is not it. “The Snow Sister” is a heavy, grief-laden story about a young boy who is struggling to help his family survive the profound sorrow in which they’ve become entirely engulfed after the death of his sister. 

The Story of “The Snow Sister”

Julian, soulfully played by Mudit Gupta, is a boy about to celebrate his tenth birthday on Christmas Eve. Usually, the holiday season is his favorite time of year, because his parents would dote on him by baking gingerbread cookies, decorating the house, and lavishing him with love. But none of that is happening this year. His older sister, Juni, died only a few months before, and the whole house is still deep in grief. His parents have hidden any visual evidence that Juni ever existed, and struggle to even interact with Julian or his little sister, Augusta (Advika Bal). Julian is left bewildered by sorrow and wonders if life will ever be joyful again. 

Then, Julian meets Hedvig (Celina Meyer Hovland), a bouncy, enigmatic little girl who gradually coaxes him out of his shell and into friendship. She’s a tiny, Nordic version of Will Ferrell’s “Elf,” with her love of Christmas and indefatigable sense of joy and wonder. 

Julian and Hedvig
Credit: IMDB.com

Although Julian is enamored by Hedvig’s charms, there is something about her that is a little off. For one thing, Hedvig deliberately avoids answering any questions about herself – and Julian has plenty, because her life is odd: A mysterious man lurks by the front gate, items in the house rot and age in front of his eyes, and alarmingly, no adults seem to ever be around. When Julian becomes frustrated with Hedvig’s evasions, they quarrel, and the magic is spoiled. Hedvig disappears, and her home – which was a twinkling Christmas wonderland, now shows itself to be a dilapidated, abandoned house.

***Spoilers Follow***

Eventually, Julian decides to pursue the mysterious lurking man to get some answers. After some initial resistance, the man reveals himself to be Henrik, the true owner of the house that Hedvig had been passing off as her own. It turns out that 50 years ago, Henrik’s sister Hedvig drowned when she fell through the ice on the fjord while ice skating.  The Hedvig who has so bewitched Julian is actually her ghost, clinging to this world because she hasn’t made peace with her own sudden death.

With these revelations, Henrik and Julian become unlikely friends who help each other find their way toward healing. With each other’s assistance, they learn what they need to do to progress in their grief; Julian persuades his parents to remember Juni instead of trying to forget her, and he also encourages Hedvig to stop haunting Henrik (who blames himself for her death).  By the end of the movie, Julian is able to reconnect with his old friends and life, and it seems hopeful that he and his family will find peace, together.

Who Should Watch 

Ultimately, the film is beautifully made and wonderfully acted, with little of the dialogue lost in translation to English subtitles. “The Snow Sister” would be a beautiful story about childhood, friendship and Christmas, but the message is overwhelmed by the weight of the characters’ grief. You just can’t ignore that there is a toll to watching a devastated child coping with loss for over 90 minutes. The emotional trauma being inflicted by Julian’s grieving parents, the wide-eyed uncomprehension of his little sister, and Julian’s abject despair are all presented so heart-achingly that it is difficult not to get carried away on your own tide of despondency. Hedvig’s scenes, which inject the film with some much-needed whimsy, just aren’t enough to keep the whole movie afloat. 

Some viewers might be able to find comfort in the overarching message of the film, which is about letting go of the past in order to make room for joy. But as beautiful as this film is, it might rip your heart out.