Snack Shack, 2024.
Written and Directed by Adam Rehmeier.
Starring Conor Sherry, Gabriel LaBelle, Mika Abdalla, Nick Robinson, David Costabile, Gillian Vigman, Christian James, Michael Bonini, J.D. Evermore, Steve Berg, April Clark, Dominick Marrone, Dawson Mullen, Sidi Henderson, June Gentry, Kate Robertson Pryor, Christian J. Velez, Charles Cohen, and Ariel Celeste.
SYNOPSIS:
Nebraska City, 1991, two best friends get the chance to run the swimming pool snack shack, that later comes to be the perfect scenario for transgression, fun, personal discovery and romance.
Best friends A.J. (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle) at the center of Snack Shack are rebellious 14-year-olds typically up to no good, often landing themselves inside sticky situations as their moneymaking schemes tend to backfire. They verbally (and sometimes physically) lay into one another, barreling through life at a specific point in time in 1991 small town Nebraska City with a chaotic energy appropriate for the era and with a sense of authenticity placing writer/director Adam Rehmeier as, presumably, a man who came of age of that timeframe.
There is no denying that the framework of this story is stale, but it is executed with a believable friendship across many ups and downs, a palpable capturing of first love crushing and the anxieties that come from nervously wondering if that girl likes someone else, and some harsh realities regarding the world and some of the reckless behavior on display here.
Following a fortuitous session of horse racing gambling (ditching a school field trip in the process), A.J. and Moose brainstorm a get-rich-quick idea involving manning a public swimming pool snack shack but also attracting nearby frat houses to sell some homemade beer in an attempt to maximize their profits. This sets off a roller coaster of amusing mistakes and misconceptions that clue A.J.’s strict father, Judge (David Costabile), into the alcohol plan but leave the boys stuck running the titular snack shack. They still find crudely funny ways to raise returns (using condiments to spell out swearwords on hot dogs, charging 75 cents extra) and luck their way into another fortuitous position while finding the time to party hard on the weekends.
From there, Snack Shack slides into more familiar territory, introducing a girl in town for the summer, Mika Abdalla’s free-spirited Brooke. Slowly, the script and direction from Adam Rehmeier drive a wedge between the friendship in a manner that, at the very least, feels real. What’s more impressive is how the script and direction from Adam Rehmeier organically handle that transition from wild and outrageous scheming to something more character-driven without sacrificing laughs. There is an earnest sense that these boys, while still juvenile and immature, are evolving and growing from experiencing what might be their first job and brush with romantic feelings.
This also doesn’t mean that Adam Rehmeier is resigned to depicting Brooke as an object of affection and lust. Even with significantly less screen time and characterization (we hardly meet any of her relatives who are responsible for her being here in the summer), there is a clear-eyed portrayal of her as a playful girl experimenting with attraction and love, taking things a bit less seriously knowing that, due to her father’s work, she will be leaving before the summer ends on short notice and might never see either A.J. or Moose again.
None of that stops A.J. from falling hard for Brooke, frequently seeking advice from family friend Shane (Nick Robinson), an adventurous daredevil who currently works at the public swimming pool but is saving money and gearing up for a wilderness trip across Alaska. They, too, have plausible chemistry, with Shane acting like an older brother, pointing out A.J.’s boneheaded moves and overreactions when trying to get with Brooke. His delivery is on point, usually laughing at A.J. while suggesting ideas for course correction, but the situations themselves are honest and authentic enough to place anyone, especially those nostalgic for this era, back into their younger selves, reliving and panicking over those same blunders.
Yes, some of this falls into male wish-fulfillment storytelling, which Adam Rehmeier also seems aware of, given a sudden third-act tone swerve that, if nothing else, does serve a purpose and reinforce the importance of friendship. It is a jarring creative choice that feels a bit too extreme but does remain tethered to the idea that, ultimately, Snack Shack is a comedy concerned with character growth.
Gabriel LaBelle is solid and given more comedic moments, also serving as the horndog, whereas Conor Sherry has to act out a larger arc, one that gradually morphs into something serious-minded with maturity and preparation for the future. Anyone who has seen The Fabelmans knows about the former’s boundless talent, so Conor Sherry is the discovery here. Mika Abdalla also makes a striking impression, giving Brooke agency and refusing to let the character exist as an object of desire or without shades of complexity. The three provide a spirited vibrancy, and the tonal changes are effective and mostly delicately handled, shaping Snack Shack into a lively coming-of-age story with a great deal of feeling, truthfulness, and period specificity.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
