Snack Shack (2024) Review: A Fun But Forgettable Summer
“Snack Shack” is fun but may leave you hungry for something more fulfilling.
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“Snack Shack” Plot Summary
“Snack Shack” is a singular vision that captures the summer we all wish we had. Writer and director Adam Rehmeier makes a coming-of-age movie that borrows liberally from the best coming-of-age movies (think Superbad, Dazed and Confused, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, etc.) and crafts a story that any male adult can see themselves in. “Snack Shack” is nostalgic, crass, and gleefully juvenile with the male gaze, but it also feels like something we’ve seen before.
Set in Nebraska in 1991, “Snack Shack” opens with two young boys smoking cigarettes and placing bets on the dog track. These two boys are A.J. (Conor Jerry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle), teens who are skipping out on a field trip for a day of debauchery. The camera glides with youthful energy as it tracks A.J. and Moose running across parking lots and scheming their way into and out of money.
One of these big gambles involves A.J.’s parents’ money and leaves them with a broken-down space for a snack shack at the public pool. Now thousands of dollars in debt with even more costs to endure on their shack’s repairs, A.J. and Moose must find a way to break even this summer. Along for the ride are A.J.’s new neighbor and crush, Brooke (Mika Abdalla), a girl who teases A.J. any chance she gets, and Shane (Nick Robinson), a mentor for A.J. who also works at the public pool. Their days and nights are spent screaming, punching, cursing, drinking, and smoking their way through the summer.
Adam Rehmeier’s “Snack Shack” is filled with music montages, tank tops, bright lighting, and teens screaming words like “s***pig” and “f***dog.” The chaos and debauchery are high on energy, but you may not find yourself laughing or even cracking a smile as “f***” and “s***” seem to replace a lot of jokes and emotion in the story. But such is teen life. Like a nice suntan, “Snack Shack” is a movie best felt on vibes without overthinking the plot and characters.
Content Information
“Snack Shack” is rated R due to strong, consistent profanity, underage drinking and smoking, violence, and some mild sexual content.
Other Noteworthy Information
- “Snack Shack” was filmed on location in Nebraska.
“Snack Shack” General Information
| Director | Adam Rehmeier |
| Screenplay By | Adam Rehmeier |
| Date Released | April 2, 2024 |
| How To Watch | Video On Demand |
| Genre(s) | Comedy |
| Film Length | 1 Hour, 52 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Rated R |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| A.J. | Conor Jerry |
| Moose | Gabriel LaBelle |
| Brooke | Mika Abdalla |
| Shane | Nick Robinson |
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
A.J. (Conor Sherry)
A.J. is our protagonist, a shaggy-haired and scrawny kid with big ambitions to start his own business. A.J.’s life of drinking, smoking, and gambling conflicts with his parents’ plans for him and even conflicts with how A.J. sees himself as he develops a romance with Brooke.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
Moose (Gabriel LaBelle)
Moose is A.J.’s best friend. A firecracker of a human who’s always ready for a slick answer, a cigarette, and sees an opportunity out of any misfortune. Moose’s opportunistic personality often makes him selfish at the cost of A.J.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Fabelmans.”
Brooke (Mika Abdalla)
Brooke is A.J.’s neighbor and budding love interest. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind and tries to capture whatever interests her through her camera.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Project MC2.”
Shane (Nick Robinson)
Shane is A.J.’s neighbor and works as a lifeguard at the pool. Shane is older, more mature, and often gives life advice to A.J.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Love, Simon.”
Collected Quote(s)
“Hey, shitpig.”
“Snack Shack” Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Let us know your thoughts in the comments:
- What did you think of “Snack Shack?” Do you think teens today would like this movie?
Notable Performances or Moments
Gabriel LaBelle as the Charming and Selfish Moose
Gabriel LaBelle first captured audiences with his role as Sam Fabelman in “The Fabelmans,” a role inspired by a young, shy, and awkward Steven Spielberg. In “Snack Shack,” Gabriel LaBelle plays a foul-mouthed, ripped, aggro, chain-smokin’ teen who schemes his way in and out of trouble. The role of Moose may be grating and tiresome in another actor’s hands, but LaBelle smiles his way through the dialogue and finds new ways to win the audience over.
Highlights
“Snack Shack” Captures Summer Vibes
“Snack Shack” is brightly colored, as if we’re living someone else’s sun-tinted nostalgia. Writer and director Adam Rehmeier evokes summer by sharing scenes that may have little to do with the plot but all to do with atmosphere. Teens dance, drink, eat candy, jump in the pool, and hang out in cars, all as music plays in slow-motion montages. There’s a sentimentality and longing at the core of these scenes that make you wish you were in the “Snack Shack” too.
On the Fence
Dialogue Can Be Repetitive and Cringe-Inducing
If you like phrases like “f***dog,” “s***pig,” and “double punch to the d***,” “Snack Shack” is right up your alley. Teens cuss. That’s common. But due to the dialogue, each character in “Snack Shack” begins to blend together and sound the same. They fight, scream, and curse, and all of it is enough to make you feel like a camp counselor getting a headache from your teen troupe.
Predictable Plot and Pacing Issues
While Rehmeier captures the summer atmosphere well, it comes at the cost of plot. We’ve seen the problems and conflicts in “Snack Shack” in other teen movies. “Snack Shack” doesn’t have to be original, but it should stay engaging, which is the tricky part when each plot feels small and stretched thin. The shack is a success and faces no threat halfway through the movie, with many more music montages to go.
Good If You Like
- Coming-of-age movies, breezy summer comedies.
Recommendations
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