Snack Shack might just be my biggest “out of nowhere” hit of 2024. It had been on my radar since last year, when we named it’s star Gabriel LaBelle as a rising star to keep an eye on. LaBelle, who’s coming off Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, continues to ascend to superstardom here. But, even with this, the film practically came out of nowhere. It had a very limited theatrical run, and Paramount Pictures, who owns Republic Pictures, this film’s distributor, put very little effort into marketing the film. It’s a shame too, because Snack Shack is actually, genuinely, great.
The film follows AJ (Connor Sherry) and Moose (LaBelle), two kids living in 1990’s Nebraska. The two have great plans to make it big, get rich and enjoy life together through various (unsuccesful) ploys, including betting on dog racing, brewing their own beer (they’re only 15) and more. When they win a bid to run the snack shack at the local pool, their schemes start to become realized. Meanwhile, AJ has his eyes set on Brooke (Mika Abdalla), a cousin of his neighbor’s who’s living in town for the summer.
From the very first scene, which in itself is a 17-minute opener before the title card, the vibe this movie gives off feels perfect. It effortlessly places me into what the 90’s would have been like for two teenagers growing up in the middle of nowhere USA. Aside from some sequences in the opener that feel a little off, it’s also shot quite tactfully, lending itself to that era of filmmaking without drawing attention to it as much.
It also helps that the film is help up by some absolutely incredible acting from LaBelle and Sherry. The two have a very believable chemistry, to the point that you’d think they’d known each other their whole lives. I also really enjoyed Abdalla’s work too, even though sometimes her lines wandered a little to close to “stereotypical indie female lead” territory. Those three have a powerful dynamic that really carries the film forward.
As for the story, I think that while it’s not anything incredibly new, it does a good job to not get in it’s own way. There are little moments that set Snack Shack apart from other similar films, like how AJ and Moose are actually pretty bad at the things they set out to do. They always end up getting caught no matter how smart they think they are, much like teenagers do. They aren’t perfect, and I appreciate that immensely.
What Snack Shack’s writer/director Adam Carter Rehmeier really succeeds at is just how enjoyable the movie is. There’s a certain throwback aura that just makes me feel good. It’s funny, intelligent, emotional, happy and heartbreaking. It may not be the most original, but when you can do it well, who really cares?
Final Thoughts
Snack Shack is the perfect summer film for 2024. But beyond that it tells an interesting, albeit straightforward, story with great characters and better acting. I was hoping so badly that it would actually be good from the time I found out about it, and I am so happy it paid off. If there’s one sleeper hit you need to see this year, it’s Snack Shack. It certainly deserves it.
4/5
To check out more of our reviews, click here. If you have suggestions for movies we should check out, email [email protected]!
