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Snack Shack
Cinematographer turned director and screenwriter named Adam Rehmeier attempts to revive the spirt of the 80's teen comedies with 2024's Snack Shack that does provide some giggles but suffers from an unfocused screenplay and a really unlikable leading lady.
The setting is 1991 Nebraska where we meet BFFs AJ and Moose, who are all about get rich quick schemes, including a plan to sell their own homemade beer. When that plan goes nowhere, they decide to raise enough money to re-open the snack bar at the city pool, with the aid of their lifeguard buddy.
Reheimer does do an excellent job of resurrecting the spirit of the 80's teen comedy. As a matter of fact, as I watched, I kept picturing the two Coreys, Haim and Feldman playing these roles. AJ and Moose are efficiently established as BFFs who know each other better than anyone and would walk through fire for each other and the classic nerd bullying they receive throughout is familiar and we're actually surprised when the snack shack doesn't turn out to be a front to sell their beer. Unfortunately, as in a lot of films like this, the film's appeal begins to nosedive when a girl starts to come between our heroes.
And it's not just that the girl pretends to have feelings for both boys, but she just isn't that likable. She's arrogant and self-absorbed and she never refers to AJ by his actual name until her final scene in the film. She speaks in her own secret language and pretends to be offended when everyone doesn't get it, and shows little to no remorse about destroying the relationship between AJ and Moose. Most of the scenes here go on a lot longer than they need to and we also get an 11:00 plot twist that was unnecessary and a total downer.
Conor Sherry and Gabrielle LaBelle, who impressed as young Steve Spielberg in The Fabelmans light up the screen as AJ and Moose and a shout out to Gillian Vigman and David Constabile as AJ's parents as well. Rehmeier is not the first cinematographer to go into directing and screenwriting, but he does display some promise.
Cinematographer turned director and screenwriter named Adam Rehmeier attempts to revive the spirt of the 80's teen comedies with 2024's Snack Shack that does provide some giggles but suffers from an unfocused screenplay and a really unlikable leading lady.
The setting is 1991 Nebraska where we meet BFFs AJ and Moose, who are all about get rich quick schemes, including a plan to sell their own homemade beer. When that plan goes nowhere, they decide to raise enough money to re-open the snack bar at the city pool, with the aid of their lifeguard buddy.
Reheimer does do an excellent job of resurrecting the spirit of the 80's teen comedy. As a matter of fact, as I watched, I kept picturing the two Coreys, Haim and Feldman playing these roles. AJ and Moose are efficiently established as BFFs who know each other better than anyone and would walk through fire for each other and the classic nerd bullying they receive throughout is familiar and we're actually surprised when the snack shack doesn't turn out to be a front to sell their beer. Unfortunately, as in a lot of films like this, the film's appeal begins to nosedive when a girl starts to come between our heroes.
And it's not just that the girl pretends to have feelings for both boys, but she just isn't that likable. She's arrogant and self-absorbed and she never refers to AJ by his actual name until her final scene in the film. She speaks in her own secret language and pretends to be offended when everyone doesn't get it, and shows little to no remorse about destroying the relationship between AJ and Moose. Most of the scenes here go on a lot longer than they need to and we also get an 11:00 plot twist that was unnecessary and a total downer.
Conor Sherry and Gabrielle LaBelle, who impressed as young Steve Spielberg in The Fabelmans light up the screen as AJ and Moose and a shout out to Gillian Vigman and David Constabile as AJ's parents as well. Rehmeier is not the first cinematographer to go into directing and screenwriting, but he does display some promise.