As the days grow longer and the first chill hangs in the air, it won't be long before winter is here in earnest. These movies are a great way to gear up for the colder months as they all take place in snowy locations, from Minnesota to the fictional Zubrowka in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Whether it's a charming and warming winter love story, such as Love Actually, or a gritty crime thriller like The Frozen Ground, these are the best films that make use of frosty winter settings, transplanting viewers to chilly terrains from the comfort of their sofa.
Snowpiercer (2013)
One of the most epic winter sci-fi movies, Snowpiercer is set in a dystopian future where the last surviving humans perpetually ride a globe-spanning train across Earth's frozen wasteland. The film is allegorical for the west's wealth inequality and class divide: the train is divided into carriages, with the elite at the lavishly decorated front and the ticketless poor passengers crammed into the rear.
What sets Bong Joon-ho's film apart is its abnormal and unique setting. Other films, such as Murder on the Orient Express, have taken place solely on trains, but there's no alternative to riding the Snowpiercer, other than facing the inexorable ice age outside. It's a thrilling premise that more than delivers.
Home Alone (1990)
After whip-smart Kevin McAllister is left home alone while his family vacations in Paris, he must defend their gorgeous suburban Chicago home from the Wet Bandits, one of cinema's most iconic crime duos. Home Alone is a joyous, cozy, and criminally funny movie. Aside from Kevin's cheeky quips, John Candy's cameo as the "Pola King of the Midwest," and John Williams' beautiful score, what makes it so brilliant is the setting.
Kevin has a humongous house, decked out in Christmas lights, all to himself, and he's able to rig it with a multitude of winter-themed booby traps. He also ventures out into snowy suburbia to fetch his own Christmas tree and to attend church with the "shovel slayer," which is his brother Buzz's inaccurate nickname for the gentle old man next door. It's truly a winter classic, making kids across the world wish their house was threatened by burglars.
The Frozen Ground (2013)
This true story takes place in a murky and cheerless Alaskan town. John Cusack, in one of his few villainous roles, plays a real-life serial killer named Robert Hansen who took the lives of dozens of innocent women in the '70s and '80s. Hansen is pursued by a state trooper (Nicolas Cage), who works with an ex-victim in order to piece together the case against his suspect.
The Frozen Ground is cold in both senses of the word. An upsetting thriller with some tough scenes, it's nevertheless a gripping story that transplants viewers into a frigid, icy world which, in this case, they likely have no desire to visit.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The ever-enigmatic Wes Anderson's magnum opus is The Grand Budapest Hotel. A visually arresting, humourous, and uniquely bizarre film, the setting for its fictitious hotel is in the snowy mountainous Zubrowka. The plot follows the concierge Monsieur Gustave H. and a newly hired bell boy as they attempt to clear the former's name after he is framed for the murder of a wealthy female patron.
The movie exists in a world of its own—the mountainous Eastern European landscape viewed from the train window, the pastel-colored buildings, the ski chase. There's no way the movie would have the same impact if the hotel was in a more accessible location; its remoteness and snowiness are so integral to its world.
Love Actually (2003)
Richard Curtis' ensemble Christmas comedy Love Actually is the best holiday movie of the 2000s. With an unrivaled cast of British legends—Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy—the interlocking stories set in London during the lead-up to December 25th are heartwarming, funny, and emotive.
There's nowhere more romantic than London in the snow. Viewers will recall the iconic scene in which Andrew Lincoln holds up placards outside Keira Knightley's home in order to profess his love, as snowflakes fall and carol music plays, and also Bill Nighy's outlandish music video in which he dances with a cohort of Santa ladies in front of a snowy mountain backdrop. If there's one Christmas film that's guaranteed to get audiences in the winter mood, it's undoubtedly this.
Groundhog Day (1993)
The time-loop premise is, aptly, timeless, as verified by recent movies Palm Springs and The Map of Tiny Perfect Things. But none does it better than Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day, which stars Bill Murray as a misanthropic weatherman who becomes trapped in the small town of Punxsutawney, doomed to repeat every day until he learns to be selfless.
The movie is set on February's titular Groundhog Day, an event that sees the town's famed groundhog supposedly predict whether there will be six more weeks of winter, watched by an adoring winter coat-clad audience. The small, cozy Pennsylvanian town is a quintessential snowy setting, with Phil and Rita partaking in snowball fights, building snowmen, even learning how to sculpt ice.
Planes, Trains And Automobiles (1987)
John Hughes' buddy road-trip comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of the funniest movies of the 1980s. It stars Steve Martin as a highly-strung advertising executive who's trying to get home to his family for Thanksgiving. But when a snowstorm grounds all planes into O'Hare airport, he begrudgingly teams up with a gregarious shower curtain ring salesman (John Candy) and a cross-country caper ensues.
What makes this movie so charming is it combines silly humor with a lot of heart. Steve Martin's character ultimately grows fond of his annoying companion and even invites him to Thanksgiving dinner. But not before their train breaks down, their car sets on fire, they destroy a motel and share an accidental moment of intimacy while sharing a bed. It has all the hallmarks of a road trip escapade—and much more.
The Revenant (2015)
Set during the westward expansion of North America in the early 19th century, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a fur trapper named Hugh Glass in his first Oscar-winning role. Left for dead by Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), Glass undertakes a journey through the inhospitable wilderness to avenge his son's death. On route, he somehow survives a vicious bear attack and spends the night in a horse carcass to shield himself from the life-threatening temperatures.
One of The Revenant's strengths is that it looks stunning. The scenic shots of rivers, mountains, and forests are breathtaking and plant viewers in this boreal environment. This brings viewers closer to Glass, increasing their empathy and involvement in his quest.
Fargo (1996)
Arguably the best Coen Brothers' movie, Fargo is the perfect black comedy thriller. Frances McDormand plays Marge Gunderson, the beacon of hope and normally in a world of cruelty, deception, and lots and lots of snow. She's a pregnant police chief tasked with investigating a highway murder, which ends up unraveling a plethora of other crimes.
Fargo is named for the North Dakotan town in which it is partially set. This region of the U.S. was largely developed by Scandinavian immigrants, giving the iconic Swedish-American hybrid accent that the film is known for. There are plenty of snowy scenes too—such as Jerry hurriedly scraping the thick layer of ice off his car after only being inside for a few minutes, and Carl burying the briefcase of ransom money in the snow.
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
Christmas and snow go hand-in-hand, and Frank Capra's timeless classic It's a Wonderful Life has one of the most moving Christmas stories in all of cinema. James Stewart's George Bailey is an upstanding family man and member of the Bedford Falls community. However, after a multitude of stresses and anxieties collide, he wishes he had never been born. This summons a guardian angel, Clarence, who shows George what a positive impact he has had on so many lives.
The iconic climactic scene takes place on a snowy Christmas Eve night as the December wind howls and George stands on a bridge begging for his life back. He utters one of cinema's most profound quotes—"I want to live again!" It's one of the most affecting scenes in all of cinema and is only enhanced by the snowy setting—the blanket of pure white snow suggesting a fresh start for George.