One of my fears about cinema has always been the lack of originality and the way movie makers rely on stories already told. This could be said of The Ice Tower, an unusual retelling of The Snow Queen, which has already inspired a huge adaptation in Disney’s Frozen. Yet this is as far removed from the family-friendly movie as possible. This arthouse variation is as cold as the story it tells, leaving you with a film that looks great but is ultimately empty.

Jeanne is a young girl who runs away to the big city and finds herself sleeping in the basement of a film studio where they are shooting a version of her favourite story, The Snow Queen. Watching from afar, she becomes fascinated by the film’s star, Cristina, who seems to be taking the role on in her real life and finds she needs Jeanne to connect with the character.

Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s film is dazzling to look at. While the 70s backdrop (the film’s time period is never fully explained) is mixed with the film’s magical world, it offers a look at life on a movie set and has its fascinating moments. With its use of framing being the most impressive thing, as we are given so many visual moments and treats, it feels a little like these shots are there to hide the inconsistency of the storytelling and the idea that this does, indeed, have a plot.

The whole thing feels so contrived in its delivery. It just so happens that Jeanne finds a basement to sleep in, which happens to be a film studio filming The Snow Queen, which happens to be her favourite story, and the star of the film feels connected to the runaway. I know most films use plot devices set up for the story, but this all seems far too obvious. What if it wasn’t her favourite story? What if the actress was just a diva and wanted her thrown out of the lot? The small hill I died on was how she managed to break into a film studio and wander around without any security stopping her.

The primary issue with this film is the sound. It is incredibly quiet. Admittedly, this is a relief from all those films with thumping soundtracks and noise throughout, but it is often so quiet that you are thankful for the subtitles to actually understand what is going on, if you can.

The performances are fine, which includes French auteur Gasper Noe as an actor. As Jeanne, newcomer Clara Pacini does a fine job as the girl who finds herself in this strange situation. Yet it is Marion Cotillard who dominates the whole film. She has that classic film star look that screams charisma, even if it is just a look. Capturing a screen diva seems a role she was meant to play.

There is no denying that The Ice Tower is a stunning-looking film, with an actress who casts her spell, yet it is quietly slow and hollow, leaving most viewers cold.

2 out of 5

Director: Lucile Hadzihalilovic

Starring: Marion Cotillard, Clara Pacini, August Diehl, Aurelia Petit, Gasper Noe, Cassandre Louis Urbain, Marine Gesbert, Lila-Rose Gilberti, Dounia Sichov

Written by: Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Geoff Cox, Alante Kavaite

Running Time: 117 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 21st November 2025