Highlights

• Jack Frost (1997) is a must-watch for horror fans despite its direct-to-video release and poor reviews, thanks to its bizarre concept and creative kills.
• The movie follows the story of a killer snowman created from a serial killer who melted into snow after being exposed to strange chemicals.
• While critics and viewers have mixed opinions, those who view it as a comedy rather than a horror film tend to have more fun and enjoy the over-the-top nature of the movie.

The Christmas season is often viewed as one filled with hope, joy, laughter, and family. However, the bizarre horror take on Jack Frost provides anything but all that. Christmas horror movies are nothing new, with a few managing to live in infamy like Black Christmas or the Silent Night, Deadly Night movies. This 1997 version of Jack Frost may not be as well known, but this bizarre creature-feature slasher film is a must-watch for fans of horror.

The fact that the movie was direct-to-video should tell most people all that they need to know about it. However, that doesn’t mean some won’t find a lot to enjoy. The movie may have been received horrendously by reviewers, but that doesn’t mean the bizarre concept and creative kills won’t be enjoyable for those who are willing to give the movie a shot. Still, there is something a bit too uncanny about a killer snowman.

What Is Jack Frost (1997) About?

In the conveniently named Snowmonton, a serial killer, also conveniently named Jack Frost, is being transferred in the middle of a blustery snowy night. He was a rather prolific serial killer, managing to kill countless people across the country. He was eventually caught by the film’s hero, Sam Tiler, but Sam’s victory wouldn’t mean much for long. After causing a car crash to avoid being executed, Jack is exposed to strange chemicals that cause him to melt into the snow, thus creating the killer snowman, Jack Frost.

As Jack begins his killing spree, with one creative kill involving a sled decapitation, Sam is left shaken by his earlier capture of the serial killer. The news had reported Jack as dead, but Sam isn’t sure that’s the case. Things get all the more twisted when Sam’s son lets him know that a snowman is killing people. At this point in the film, viewers are treated to some creative and campy kills at the hands of a silly snowman. Some will love it, while others might just find a bit too much.

Eventually, enough people clue into the violence. After the FBI intervenes, the town is placed on lockdown. As one might expect, this just means that Jack Frost has plenty of time to go around getting even more brutal kills. He kills an officer before turning his attention to a cliché amorous couple, whom he kills before finally deciding to finish enacting his revenge against the man who had caught him in the first place: Sam. One of the FBI agents reveals themselves to be an employee from the company whose chemicals turned Jack Frost into a snowman, explaining how all of that ended up happening. According to the movie, the human soul is nothing but chemicals.

With Jack Frost continuing his murderous ways, Sam and company attempt to battle the beast with various methods, including hairdryers and a furnace, but not even that can stop Jack. Having to flee as Jack kills even more people since he doesn’t want to build a snowman, Sam accidentally finds his weakness by throwing oatmeal that has been laced with antifreeze at his foe. Jack Frost takes serious damage from the antifreeze, which clues Sam into a way to finally stop the snowman once and for all.

What Is Jack Frost’s (1997) Rotten Tomatoes Score?

Those who have taken the time to watch Jack Frost haven’t seemed to love the movie. Critics have given the movie a rotten 16%, while the average viewer has given it 31%. The general audience seems to fall into two camps. They either absolutely hate the movie, or they can enjoy it for what it is, relishing in the cheap, campy, and overtly silly nature of the movie. Fans who truly dig into the film find a lacking plot and forgettable characters, especially for a horror movie. However, those who choose to view the experience as a comedy seem to have a lot more fun.

Surprisingly, critics fall into the same two camps as the general audience, though they are split to a lesser extent. A handful of reviewers relish in how poor of a horror movie Jack Frost is, turning the experience into an excellent over-the-top comedy in their minds. Other reviewers pan everything, including the writing, effects, performances, and the story itself. Stephanie Archer of Film Inquiry concluded her review of Jack Frost with both positives and negatives in mind:

At times a bad horror and at others a bad TV movie, Jack Frost is terrible from start to finish – so much so it’s… good. There is a dedication from its actors, no matter how terrible the performances, that matches the energy of its narrative and one-liner-infused dialogue. Its absurdity may run its course, but proves not every aspect of Jack Frost needs to be put on ice.

How Does Jack Frost (1997) End?

While Jack Frost may have initially seemed unbeatable, Sam now has a way to defeat the snow creature. Knowing that antifreeze is capable of hurting Jack, Sam and his friend Paul fill his truck’s bed with the substance. Sam has a plan, but it’s really not much of one, especially if Jack ends up getting his frosty mitts on him. Once Sam has gotten Jack’s attention again, he leads him on a wild chase. Unfortunately, Jack does catch him and stabs him with an icicle. Not thrilled by the idea of becoming another victim of a snowman, Sam sends himself and Jack out a window, and right into the truck filled with antifreeze.

Slowly but surely, Jack melts away, finally defeated. To make sure that Jack Frost never truly returns, the substance is rebottled and buried. With the remaining survivors left to deal with the authorities that are on their way, viewers are treated to one last surprise. Jack Frost has a great sequel tease with one of the containers full of liquid bubbling away, showing that the killer snowman may be down for now, but he is never truly defeated.