Snack Shack

The first act of this film set it up to be this obnoxious buddy comedy about two scheming capitalists, but the story morphs into a brilliant portrayal of growing up over a summer.

The movie is not as funny as it would like to be at certain points, but that doesn't matter. The strength of the script is in the delivery and the characterization of the two leads and family life.

The conflict can seem a bit silly at first, but then you get it when you realize what life was like at 14. Everything matters until nothing does, and then you fall apart. These actors are admirable, and I respect the fact that they actually look like teenagers.

The script has more f-bombs than Scarface, and it gets loud and obnoxious, and that's what growing up is like. Cannot wait to see more from this director.

Set in Nebraska City, Nebraska 1991, teenagers A. J. Carter (Conor Sherry) and his scheming friend Moose Miller (Gabriel LaBelle) try their hand at various get rich quick schemes from placing bets at off track betting parlors to brewing their own beer to sell to other high schoolers. After their parents put a stop to their questionable activities the two empty their savings accounts in order to place an exorbitant bid on the snack shack at the community pool as A. J. now has to pay back the money to avoid being sent to military school. Over the course of the summer A. J. experiences romance, tragedy, and struggle.

Snack Shack is the sophomore mainstream directorial effort of Adam Carter Rehmeier following his 2020 film Dinner in America. The film is a semi-autobiographical film with Rehmeier having based significant parts of the film off his own experience manning a pool shack in his youth. While I found the film to be an acquired tasted due to its purposefully abrasive characters, there is an unmistakable air of authenticity to the film that once I emersed myself in did win me over.

Being set at the start of the 90s, Snack Shack has an air of similar films from the decade that preceded (Fast Times at Ridgemont High and the like) or even more modern ones such as Adventureland. Both Conor Sherry and Gabriel LaBelle give strong performances and have good chemistry as A. J. and Moose, and while their introduction doesn't initially present them as the most likable of characters it does feel true to form in that phase of brash overconfidence that adolescent boys often go through as they approach adulthood. Despite having a heavy focus on shenanigans and risky behavior the movie does also showcase the humanizing aspects of the characters particularly regarding the major milestones of first loves or an untimely tragedy that carry strong weight.

While I didn't enjoy Snack Shack as much as some similar films in this genre (such as The Way Way Back or Adventureland) I did appreciate the film for its authentic presentation that captured not only the look of its time and place but also the feel. The characters are flawed but human and there's a strong core to the movie once you get to know it beyond its slightly abrasive surface.

Just finished watching "Snack Shack," and my initial reaction? Well, it's over. Not much to write home about, but let's break it down.

Starting with the positives, Connor Sherry's acting as the main character stood out. He brought a certain charm to the role that made the viewing experience somewhat enjoyable. As for the rest of the cast, they were okay-ish. A few jokes landed for some giggles, but nothing particularly memorable.

Now, onto the negatives. The age of the characters as told in the movie just didn't match up. They certainly didn't look like 14-year-olds, and neither did the girl portrayed in the film look like a teenager. This lack of believability hindered the emotional connection with the characters; I found it hard to feel empathy or sympathy for anyone. The character development was very less so it was hard for me to feel emotional for any of them. The storyline is pretty straightforward and doesn't offer anything particularly new or innovative. It follows a formula we've seen many times before.

The length of the movie was okay for me, although I think it could have been trimmed down to around 1 hour and 40 minutes. A shorter runtime might have made for a tighter, more engaging story.

So, my overall review? I'd give "Snack Shack" a 7 out of 10. It's a one-time watch that can provide decent time-pass entertainment. It's slightly above average, hence the 7 rating.

Don't get me wrong it's not a bad movie by any means it's just not a movie that you will remember for a long time.. It did a good job as a One time watch so yeah I can definitely recommend it to watch it for some decent timepass.

Genuine, heartfelt, funny and a true representation of youth. I wish more films were like this. Makes you nostalgic for a time you never lived

...Is all I wanted to say but that's not enough for IMDB. A stellar performance from the entire cast. Kind of forgot I was watching a movie. The dialogue is on point and yes, for those of a wary heart, there's a lot of cussing but unsurprisingly that's how kids speak

This movie could so easily have been produced with all the gloss of Hollywood, fraught with drama, dumbed down, high-stakes, PG-rated just for the money but it remains true to so many people's lived experiences. It's a movie not afraid of showing the rough edges of both comedy and drama

I wish film makers would dare to write and produce movies like this. It would certainly bring me back to the cinema, because movies like this one should be enjoyed on the big screen.

I miss when comedies weren't afraid of offending anyone. I miss when comedies didn't try to teach me a lesson. I miss when comedies accurately showed how guys act and talk around each other.

I forgot how much I missed them until I watched Snack Shack. Now while this can be described as a 90s throwback comedy, it does a great job of celebrating bro culture without celebrating some of the creepy stuff from 80s/90s comedies, like peeping on women.

Having said that, some of the vulgar language and jokes had me cracking up. It reminds me of so many conversations I've had with my friends. The situations and movie overall are pretty hilarious, with a few highly memorable parts.

Lead actor Conor Sherry kills it. He does a great job with the comedy, with the perfect balance of being a dork without being a wuss. And there are a few serious moments where his performance made me say, "Wow." I think we'll be seeing more of him.

A couple things hold this back from being an instant comedy classic. Later in the movie, it focuses less on comedy and more on drama, both romantic and non. Most of it is done well, but there are very few laughs in the last half hour. And some of the romance drama feels manufactured, forced and unnecessary.

I still had a good time with this movie and encourage people to support R-rated comedies. We don't get nearly enough of them.

(1 viewing, early fan screening 3/6/2024)