Summary

Snack Shack’s characters and desires lack depth, making them difficult to care about.
Every aspect of the film feels weightless and insubstantial.
Snack Shack tries to combine various genres without commitment, leading to a disjointed storyline.

Snack Shack possesses all the classic ingredients of a run-of-the-mill, nostalgic teen summer comedy. The familiar formula is one we’ve seen countless times before: Two friends gallivanting through their suburban neighborhood on bikes, getting into trouble, falling in love, and finding themselves, all set against the backdrop of yesteryear’s perfect soundtrack before the school year resumes. Unfortunately, Snack Shack takes these tried-and-true ingredients and throws them into the pot at the wrong moments, failing to let them simmer long enough, resulting in a final product that feels undercooked and unsatisfying.

Nebraska City, summer of 1991—Inseparable best friends AJ (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle) seize the opportunity to run the local pool’s rundown snack shack after their plan to gamble on dog races and sell home-brewed beer goes down the drain. Dreaming of striking it rich, things take an unexpected turn when they meet summer visitor Brooke (Mika Abdalla), an effortlessly cool lifeguard who puts their big summer plans, and their friendship, at risk. 
 ProsDavid Costabile and Gillian Vigman give standout performancesThe coming-of-age drama has a couple of good, poignant moments ConsSnack Shack’s story is inconsequentialThe summer romance is sorely lackingThe film tries way too hard, resulting in flat storytelling

Set in the summer of 1991, the story follows best friends AJ (Conor Sherry, who played a role in The Terminal List), and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle, known for his character in The Fabelmans). Hoping to make some quick cash, the young pals find themselves manning the snack shack at the local pool. Written and directed by Adam Reihmer, the movie starts off quickly and provides an in-your-face introduction to the film’s intended direction. However, the momentum quickly fizzles out, and the plot begins to meander towards the finish line, taking several unnecessary detours along the way.

Snack Shack’s Characters & Desires Are Hard To Care About

No coming-of-age summer movie would be complete without a romance, and the role of love interest is fulfilled by Brooke (Mika Abdalla). She is introduced as a rough-around-the-edges type of girl, who smokes marijuana and drives a Jeep. She’s meant to serve as a narrative foil and unexpected love interest for the two main characters. However, her presence falls flat as she is quite unlikable, making it difficult to root for her connection with either of the boys, despite the film’s attempts to push her towards AJ.

The overall lack of depth in the characters and their motivations makes it challenging to become invested in their journeys or root for any particular outcome.

Throughout the film, Brooke’s treatment of AJ is unnecessarily unkind, consistently referring to him by an unpleasant nickname rather than his real name. Her pointless behavior is incredibly frustrating, and all you’ll want is for AJ to stand up for himself against her constant negging. While this dynamic was intended to create a sense of attraction between the characters, it ultimately failed to engage.

There were a few standout performances in Snack Shack, mainly from David Costabile and Gillian Vigman, who played AJ’s parents. They both were able to provide some funny and endearing moments despite their somewhat over-the-top characterization. Additionally, the two young leads are quite convincing as teenage best friends, with their banter and chemistry being mostly wholesome and likable. But the overall lack of depth in the characters and their motivations makes it challenging to become invested in their journeys or root for any particular outcome.

Snack Shack Director Adam Rehmeier Release Date March 15, 2024 Studio(s) T-Street , Paperclip Limited Distributor(s) Republic Pictures Writers Adam Rehmeier Cast Conor Sherry , Nick Robinson , David Costabile , Gillian Vigman , Mika Abdalla

Every Element Of Snack Shack Is Weightless & Insubstantial

Snack Shack unfortunately struggles to find its identity, teetering on the edge of various movie genres without fully committing to any. It’s uncertain whether it aspires to be a raunchy teen comedy in the vein of the timeless and quotable Superbad or a tender coming-of-age story reminiscent of the endearing 1995 film Now and Then. While the movie’s main premise of AJ and Moose landing a summer job at a local pool’s snack shack is clear, this central theme feels inconsequential, only serving as a backdrop for a series of trivial moments.

The characters’ excessive cursing and chain-smoking comes across as a heavy-handed attempt to portray these 14-year-old boys as edgy and rebellious. Additionally, their beer-brewing activities further contribute to this forced sense of audacity. While clearly intended for characterization, its execution feels overly blunt, resulting in more eye rolls than laughs, which ultimately adds little to the narrative. The film’s lack of direction is evident in its failure to establish clear goals or motivations for its characters, resulting in a disjointed and aimless storyline.

Snack Shack fails to capitalize on ’90s nostalgia, which could have added a layer of depth and charm to the narrative, making it a fun and successful throwback summer film.

Snack Shack is a movie that feels like a watered-down amalgamation of various movies, lacking a strong premise and a cohesive message. Even the film’s title bears little significance to its content, as the story could have unfolded in any setting, in any midwestern suburban town, without impacting the overall point, or lack thereof. Despite being set in 1991, Snack Shack fails to capitalize on ’90s nostalgia, which could have added a layer of depth and charm to the narrative, making it a fun and successful throwback summer film. What was ultimately delivered made it a forgettable viewing experience.

One notable moment in the film is the death of Shane (Nick Robinson), AJ and Moose’s older friend and role model, which briefly brings out a bit of genuine emotion from the actors and serves as a device to reconcile AJ and Moose’s friendship. Although touching, this moment comes a little too late in the story to make a significant impact. While the film has a few genuinely funny moments, its overall purpose feels lacking, making the events and character arcs seem inconsequential.