First Snow

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mark Fergus directs. Eric Alan Edwards behind the camera. Cliff Martinez scores. Jay Cassidy cuts. Produced in Germany, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released 20 years ago.
• 2International production across 2 countries: Germany, United States of America.
• 3Directed by Mark Fergus, shot by Eric Alan Edwards. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Cliff Martinez. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Jay Cassidy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Guy Pearce and Piper Perabo and Steven Michael Quezada carry the top of the cast.
• 7IMDB entry: tt0432289 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

Eric Alan Edwards

Original score

Cliff Martinez

Editing

Jay Cassidy

Production design

Devorah Herbert

Runtime

101 min · 1h 41m

Status

Released

Box office

$382,267

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

First Snow (2006) ↗

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  First Snow (2006) TRAILER [HD]

  Trailer

Community reviews

What people are saying

• JPV8522020-07-27
  ★ 6/10

  Slow, plodding film noirish drama-thriller is only worth watching for Guy Pearce who gives a great performance and can't say I was exactly bored, but the ending didn't exactly have an emotional impact. 3.25/5

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• Wuchak2022-03-24
  ★ 6/10

  Existential examination of fate vs. freewill with Guy Pearce A smooth-talking charismatic salesman in New Mexico (Guy Pearce) consults a psychic at a rest stop on a whim (J.K. Simmons) and becomes increasingly paranoid that his ‘fortune’ might be accurate. Piper Perabo plays his girlfriend, William Fichtner his friend at work and Shea Whigham a former best bud from childhood. "First Snow" (2006) is a gritty, desolate exploration of freewill and fate, not to mention the struggle with guilt, paranoia and doing the right thing. It has the bleak, reverent tone of movies like “The Woodsman” (2004), “The Mothman Prophecies” (2002),” “Dark Country” (2009), “The Dry Land” (2010), “Leo” (2002) and “The Cry of the Owl” (2009). Don’t expect any overt supernaturalism, but there are hints of mysterious forces beyond human decision or activity. Pearce is very reminiscent of Brad Pitt in this particular role while Perabo is always a pleasure. Yet the film isn’t pleasurable in any conventional sense. It’s grey and film noir-ish with a sense of desperate inevitability. You have to be in the mood for slow-burn mundaneness to appreciate it. The movie runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was shot in the heart of New Mexico: Albuquerque, Bosque Farms and Moriarty. GRADE: B-/C+

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Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Yari Film Group

  US

• FU

  Furst Films

  US

Key crew

• AuthorHawk Ostby
• ProducerBryan Furst
• ProducerSean Furst
• Executive ProducerOliver Hengst
• ProducerTom Lassally
• Line ProducerPatty Long
• ProducerRobyn Meisinger
• ProducerWolfgang Schamburg
• Executive ProducerErnst-August Schnieder
• ProducerBob Yari
• EditorJay Cassidy
• CastingJohn Papsidera
• Production DesignDevorah Herbert
• Art DirectionMark Alan Duran
• Set DecorationElaine O'Donnell
• Costume SupervisorLahly Poore
• Executive In Charge Of Post ProductionChris Miller
• Co-ProducerChris Miller
• Associate ProducerDave Gare
• Co-ProducerTodd Williams
• ThanksMartin Chávez
• Producer's AssistantLisa G. Black

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• psychic power
• salesman

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical2006-05-05R

Also known as

International titles

• Presagio finale - First SnowIT
• La primera nevadaES
• First Snow (La primera nevada)ES
• La primera nevada (First Snow )ES
• First Snow - Tödliche ProphezeiungDE