Friday Night In #4: Snowed In Edition

Four movies to watch inside under a blanket

Jan 10, 2025

I had planned to talk about a different movie this week, but y’all, I couldn’t get through it. I attempted A Family Affair with Joey King, Zac Efron, and Nicole Kidman on Netflix. I went in blind and didn’t realize this was going to be a rom-com with a romance between Efron and Kidman.

I can sometimes roll with an age-gap romance if it’s done well, but I just didn’t feel any chemistry between these two and I found myself literally cringing during the first love scene. I really liked Joey King in her role, but it wasn’t enough to keep me watching.

So, instead, since much of the country is under snow as I write this (on Thursday) and we’re getting rare snow in my part of Texas, I thought I’d offer some trapped-in-the-snow movie options that inspire staying inside this weekend under a blanket. (Also, if you’re anywhere near the terrible California fires, my thoughts are with you and I hope you are staying safe.)

Scary Snow

No Exit

This movie is based on the book of the same name by Taylor Adams (looks like it’s currently available on Kindle Unlimited by the way.) As usual, I liked the book better than the movie, but the movie still did a pretty good job of adapting the thriller.

This is a taut thriller/horror that will have you gripping your blanket tight and leaning forward toward the TV. Darcy leaves her court-required rehab program (illegally) because there’s a family emergency and she has to get to her mother.

However, she gets caught in a blizzard and is forced to ride it out at a rest stop before continuing on her journey. There are a few other people stranded, and she plans on keeping to herself. But when she goes outside for something, she sees a child’s hand slam against the window of a parked van (not a spoiler since it’s on the movie poster above.) So now she knows there’s a child locked in there and someone inside is responsible. But who? And how does she help the child while also not tipping off whoever is responsible? Oh, yeah, and there’s a blizzard so there’s nowhere to escape to.

Did I mention this one’s tense?

Watch it on Hulu

Stephen King Snow

The Shining

You don’t get more snowed in than The Shining. Jack Torrance just wants some quiet time to write that pesky book he can’t seem to write. Trapping him and his family in an isolated hotel that’s snowed in for months in the mountains of Colorado sounds like a great idea!

(I should probably take out the sarcastic tone because, as a writer, sometimes that kind of distraction-free isolation does seem tempting!)

This one holds up to a rewatch if you haven’t watched it in awhile, but you may be using that blanket to cover your eyes some of the time. It’s still scary.

Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props: Kathy Bates prosthetic dummy and ...

Misery

What is it with Stephen King, troubled writers, and snow?

When famous author Paul Sheldon crashes his car in the snow, he’s rescued by Annie Wilkes and brought back to her cabin to recuperate. Turns out, Annie is a huge fan of his books and she’s got some ideas about where the story should go—and she doesn’t take kindly to editorial changes.

This movie used to seem outrageous to me (terrifying and well done but outrageous), but since the internet and seeing how far some fans will go when it comes to the object of their fandom…I mean, I don’t know. Plausible?

Trapped Not Just In Snow But In Time

Groundhog Day

Ah, the movie that was so successful it gave us a new saying. It’s like Groundhog Day. I know it’s not Groundhog Day yet, but this movie has a snowy setting and the theme of being trapped, but in this case, trapped in time (and in Punxsutawney, PA.)

Groundhog Day is the movie that made me fall in love with the time loop premise. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite tropes. If I see a romance or really any genre mention that someone is trapped in a time loop, I’m buying it almost every time. Maybe I just love the idea of being able to fix mistakes and get something exactly right. Or maybe it’s the concept of fate and how one little moment/decision can change the trajectory of your life (both a magical and terrifying thought, lol.) Whatever the reason, I can’t resist this movie anytime it comes on. (I have the same affliction with My Cousin Vinny. If it’s on, I’m watching.)

I’m sure everyone knows the premise, but just in case. Phil the weatherman, who is an insufferable ego-driven jerk, has to go to Pennsylvania to report on the groundhog and he is not happy about it. He’s basically an ass to everyone he meets, but just when he thinks he’s done with the stupid assignment, he wakes up and it’s the same day all over again.

This is funny and heartwarming and just an all-around good time.

Family-Friendly Fantastical Snow

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

Some of y’all are going to be snuggling up with the kiddos for movie night, so if you want something snowy and family-friendly that isn’t Frozen, I’d go with the classic Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

I credit the Chronicles of Narnia as one of the books that I read as a child that first made me want to be a writer. I’m still looking for a magical door in the back of my closet.

This first installment follows Lucy and her siblings. They evacuated the Blitz in London and have escaped to the country where they discover a door to a magical place in the back of the wardrobe. Narnia is trapped in eternal winter thanks to the White Witch and has no Christmas. It will be up to them to help Aslan the lion to save Narnia.

This movie is beautiful to watch and Narnia is a fantastical world to get lost in. I think this would be a perfect pick for a cozy winter night.

This one is streaming on Disney+.

Alright, that’s the list this week. I hope you found something worth watching! I’m hoping to have a Friday Night OUT because we have tickets to the Cotton Bowl, but it’s a wait-and-see situation with the weather. Fingers crossed!

Also, if you’d like something warm to drink while you watch a snowy movie, I love Starbucks “Medicine Ball” tea (on the menu it’s their Honey Citrus Mint tea) but I don’t have a Starbucks around the corner. So, I’ve been using this copycat recipe for the last few years, and it’s delish. It’s also the best thing ever if you have a cold. Between the flu and sinus infections, the dudes in my house have been sick for almost three weeks now, so there has been lots of tea over here.

Copycat Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea recipe (from The Kitchn)

Hope you enjoy your weekend! Stay safe out there.

Have you watched any great movies lately? What movie do you have to watch if you see that it’s on?

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