‘Hot Frosty’ Is a Formulaic Holiday Movie—This Is Why We Love It! 

Is there anything better than sitting down to watch a formulaic holiday movie? While formulas can get tiresome in other genres, holiday rom-coms expect to do one thing—make us feel all warm and fuzzy. And that is exactly what Netflix’s instant hit Hot Frosty absolutely does.

Like many of Netflix’s (and Hallmark’s) holiday movies, Hot Frosty isn’t going to revolutionize the genre. But there is a reason it is dominating conversations right now about film. Is it the hunk-ification of a snowman that comes to life that scratches the right part of a certain demographic’s mind or is it the surprising setup and subversion of expectations that made this movie the talk of the town?

It’s actually both! Let me explain.

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The Formula of a Holiday Movie

Like every genre, a classic set of tropes can make or break your story. Audiences grant holiday story tropes more leniency than those in genres like horror or romance because they expect formulaic plots that don’t challenge the concept of a holiday movie.

Of course, this isn’t to say that there aren’t holiday movies out there that challenge the formula of the genre, but Hot Frosty isn’t one of those.

The classic formula of holiday movies is based on these tropes:

• The overworked protagonist
• A snow globe setting
• The meet-cute
• The Christmas magic
• The supportive, quirky best friend
• A seasonal tradition
• The big grande gesture

Reading this list, you probably thought of a few holiday movies that fit this mold very well. Again! That’s not a bad thing because this is what most audiences want: a movie that uses these tropes to craft a story that is engaging.

Hallmark has made this formula their hallmark (sorry), and Netflix has been working hard to mimic the success of a Hallmark holiday movie but with a twist. While Hot Frosty comfortably uses all of these tropes to create a story that meets audiences’ expectations, it adds a bit of twist that makes it a movie that can break through the noise of the world.

Read More: Writing a Holiday Film (Christmas & Hanukkah Edition)

'Hot Frosty' (2024)

The Magic of Hot Frosty

The premise is easy: Kathy (Lacey Chabert), a widowed cafe owner, puts a magic scarf on a chiseled snowman at her town’s annual snowman competition, which brings the snowman, named Jack (Dustin Milligan) to life. Jack teaches Kathy how to love again through the traditions of the holiday season before he melts away.

It is essentially a meet-cute between Frosty the Snowman and a rom-com, and I know you’re spiraling with questions about how Kathy and a snowman fall in love.

That is the magic of Hot Frosty—it hooks you with a premise that is familiar and makes it just strange enough to reel you in. But the movie does so much more with that premise to make Hot Frosty a pretty engaging, formulaic holiday movie.

Establishing the Tropes

From the start, the audience learns that Kathy is a still grieving cafe owner who is having a hard time keeping the place together. Her husband was the one who performed all the repairs in the shop, and she hasn’t been able to find the right person to come in and replace him.

Seeking refuge from the coldness of her cafe (the heater no longer works) and of her heart, Kathy meets up with her friends, who also own a store in their small town, for lunch. They encourage her to find happiness and offer her a red scarf that is “destined” for her.

Enter the town’s annual Christmas tradition: a snowman competition.

Kathy is drawn to a sculpted snowman and puts her scarf around him. The next morning, the snowman comes to life and finds Kathy. As they spend more time together, Jack fixes the cafe up for Kathy, even the heater. Slowly, Jack starts to melt just as Kathy’s heart starts to defrost.

This is about the midpoint of the movie, and you can see that this movie is already hitting most of the holiday tropes through its unusual premise. Any holiday story can work if the tropes are established, bringing the audience to a familiar place with rules that make sense through the logic of holiday magic.

'Hot Frosty' (2024)

A Twist on a Classic Holiday Premise

I know you’re itching to know how Hot Frosty ends. So were millions of streamers across the world.

There are only two ways Hot Frosty could end: Kathy and Jack fall in love and live happily ever after or, if we are following the traditional story of Frosty the Snowman, Jack melts away and Kathy has learned how to love again. Either way, both endings reach a satisfying destination for a classic holiday movie.

Now what if I also told you that Jack gets arrested at the start of Act 3 for streaking earlier in the movie? The stakes are even higher now because of this twist.

Twists are what keep a formulaic story engaging for an audience that understands the language of the genre very well. Hot Frosty screenwriter Russell Hainline understands this extremely well and creates a setup that is promised to pay off.

When Jack comes to life, he is… well, in the nude. He also accidentally falls through a store window and steals some clothes, unknowingly breaking laws left and right. Sheriff Hunter (Craig Robinson) arrests Jack for these crimes at the peak of Jack and Kathy’s relationship, creating a ticking clock as Jack starts melting in the jail cell.

There is enough pressure on the fairly low-stakes premise that helps the story pick up pace and brings the entire ensemble together to save the day.

Hot Frosty Knows What You Want in the End

Despite the entire community coming together to save Jack from melting in jail, Jack doesn’t make it. Devastated that her new boyfriend is dead, Kathy kisses him goodbye and takes back her red scarf.

Imagine a light-hearted holiday movie ending on such a somber note!

Yes, Jack does technically die, but the magic of love (and Christmas, which explains away a lot of the questions asked in this story) turns Jack into a real human being who can’t melt away.

Here’s the thing—no matter what your premise is for a holiday movie, audiences want things to work out in the end. They crave the formulaic happy ending in a holiday movie where everyone gets what they desire, and Hot Frosty delivers it with Netflix’s distinct flavor of unique and intriguing holiday movies.

Read More: 7 Ways to Master the Endings of Your Screenplays

'Hot Frosty' (2024)

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Hot Frosty is the perfect holiday movie this season because it feels fresh while relying on a tried-and-true formula. You can capture the same magic in your holiday screenplay by starting with a classic holiday premise, raising the stakes with a well-crafted twist, and delivering the happy ending we all crave during this magical season.

Formulas and tropes exist for a reason. It’s a screenwriter's job to know when and how to use them to deliver a story that captures audiences’ attention and forces them to engage with the story.

Read More: 14 Scripts You Should Read During the Holidays

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