''Kid Snow'' is a 2024 Australian

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by Paul Goldman from a screenplay by

John Brompton John Brompton or Bromton (fl. 1436) was a supposed English chronicler. Brompton was elected abbot of Jervaulx in 1436. The authorship of the compilation printed in Roger Twysden's ''Decem Scriptores'' Col. 725-1284, Lond. 1652; with the title '' ...

. Starring Billy Howle and

Phoebe Tonkin Phoebe Jane Elizabeth Tonkin (born 12 July 1989) is an Australian actress. #Awards and nominations, Her accolades include an AACTA Awards, AACTA Award, in addition to a nomination for a Logie Award. Born and raised in Sydney, Tonkin began her ...

and set in the 1970s, the film's plot follows the

titular character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

(Howle), a washed-up boxer who falls in love with a single mother (Tonkin). Production took place in the

Goldfields–Esperance The Goldfields–Esperance region is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the south-eastern corner of Western Australia, and comprises the local government areas of Coolgardie, Dundas, Esperance, Kalgoorlie–Boul ...

region of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. ''Kid Snow'' premiered at the

Sydney Film Festival The Sydney Film Festival is an annual competitive film festival held in Sydney, Australia, usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize. , the festival's director is Nashen Moodley. Histo ...

on 11 June 2024. Distributed by

Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, stylized as MADMAN, is an Australian film and television production, distribution, entertainment, and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising ...

, the film began its theatrical run in Australia on 12 September 2024, and will be released in the United States in February 2025. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who criticised the screenplay and story pacing but highly praised Tonkin's performance, which was nominated for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress award ...

at the

14th AACTA Awards The 14th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (generally known as the AACTA Awards) is an awards ceremony to celebrate the best of Australian films and television of 2024. The main ceremony occurred on 7 February 2025 at the H ...

Plot

A washed-up Irish boxer named Kid Snow is faced with a chance to redeem himself when he is offered a rematch against the man he fought a decade prior. When he meets single mother Sunny, he is forced to think of a future beyond boxing.

Cast

* Billy Howle as Kid * Tom Bateman as Rory *

as Sunny * Hunter Page-Lochard as Lizard *

Mark Coles Smith Mark Coles Smith (born 1987), also known as Kalaji, is an Aboriginal Australian (Nyikina) actor of stage and screen, sound designer, field recordist, writer, and composer. He is known for his roles in the feature films '' Last Cab to Darwin'' ( ...

as Lovely * Nathan Phillips as Billy *Shaka Cook as Armless *Jake LaTorre as Darcy * Robert Taylor as Ed *Tristan Gorey as Hammer *Vito de Francesco as Frank *

Tasma Walton Tasma Walton (born 19 August 1973) is an Aboriginal Australian television and film actress. Early life and education Tasma Walton was born on 19 August 1973 in Geraldton, Western Australia. She is of Boonwurrung descent through her mother. ...

as Betty *

John Brumpton John Brumpton (born 28 July 1958) is an Australian actor who has appeared in a large number of local productions. Early life Brumpton grew up in Sydney. He graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1982 with a Bachelor of Survey ...

as Jack *Nick Britton as Danny *

Anthony Sharpe Anthony J Sharpe (born 24 September 1974) is an Australian actor, producer and singer, best known for his role playing the character of Cecil Yates (Cec) on ABC1's ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.'' He grew up in Melbourne and became involved ...

as Slim

Production

The production began filming between May and July 2022 in the

region and in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, making it the first film production in Western Australia following the lifting of the state's

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

border restrictions. The film concluded post-production in 2023 before being selected to premiere at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival.

Release

''Kid Snow'' premiered at the

on 11 June 2024, and began its theatrical run in Australia on 12 September 2024.

Reception and accolades

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Luke Buckmaster of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' criticised the film's "borderline laboured" screenplay and dialogue, and pointed out issues with its pacing, stating "the structure drifts and you don't get a strong sense the drama is escalating and the stakes increasing." He however praised the "compelling performances" of Howle and Tonkin, stating the latter "brings a weary, baggy-eyed melancholia that’s quite interesting; you can feel her nudging the drama towards a heavier and moodier key." Damien Straker of ''Impulse Gamer'' also praised Tonkin's acting, pointing out her "tough, resilient turn" in the role. Cris Kennedy of ''Inner East Review'' and Sandra Hall of ''

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

'' were more positive towards the film overall; both also drew particular attention to Tonkin's performance. For her acclaimed performance, Tonkin received a nomination for the

AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role The AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The AACTA is a non-profit organisation, whose aim is to "identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australi ...

at the 2025 ceremony.

References