The Snake (MacMillan, 2026) Review: A Character All Too Like At Least One Person We Know
General Reviews
Everybody knows somebody, or knows of someone who does not have their life put together. As much as we want to care for them, they make it hard for not only themselves but those around them as well. It ultimately ends up being up to them whether or not they can change their lives. But it is that fact that remains, it is up to them. And no matter how late in life it is, there is always a chance to change. All they need, and all those around them need is to remain hopeful that the one they know will take any chance they are given to fix their lives for the better.
Ungovernable and completely haywire 40-something year-old Jamie (Susan Kent) lives at her Nana’s house. After her nana’s death, Jamie collides with her venomous mother resulting in her life blowing up, even more, in front of her eyes. What had once been a semi-stable environment results in her being evicted from her home and being single as well. The chaos of her mother sends Jamie down a spiral and she breaks into Nana’s house in an attempt to prove it should be hers. Combine breaking and entering with a failed attempt to move in with her boyfriend, with crashing at her friend’s and ending up sleeping with the husband. Jamie’s life is all but normal.
We have seen it all before, that middle aged character who’s life is a complete disaster. They do not want to take responsibility for themselves and they continue to make choices that will not help them for the better. Yet in The Snake, an additional issue is here. The people Jamie is surrounded by are almost worse than her. At least this expands the plot from the typical, but it perhaps creates something much worse in tow. While yes it gives more of an antagonist(s) to Jamie’s protagonist, as well as also giving the audience the chance to feel sorry for Jamie. It creates such a hostile environment that you cannot help but wonder why they are also so toxic. Or, I guess you could say, so snake like.
The Snake has a specific target audience it wants to, and can reach. It has a comedic and gripping opening as we are invited into Jamie’s life. What is funny is as a Canadian viewer watching this Canadian comedy film, you know it feels familiar. You just cannot pinpoint why or how. At first intriguing and captivating, you are made to believe the characters will provide the comedy you hope you would get. Jamie spends most of the film acting more or less like a child at times. The journey, filled with ridicule, that she goes through feels like it goes nowhere, but it is still somehow comical.
Funnily enough, as Kent is the film’s writer, it feels as though she wrote the film catering to her strengths. The direction by Jenna MacMillan feels as though it is misplaced within the uncertainty the film proposes. Though you can wonder what would have happened had Kent not written and played the character, in playing Jamie she is able to bring the character to life in a way that changes viewing pleasure. In Kent’s choices for Jamie, upon reflection it only makes sense that she hopes to change society’s standards on the ideal female. By sharing the story of a woman constantly doing the wrong thing, though we cannot forgive her, and we are not supposed to, she is there for us to see.
It might be messy, but that also might be purposeful. As one of those types of Canadian films, it is quite progressive and impressive for it to have had its world premiere at such a big international film festival. In their creative endeavour, Kent and MacMillan did provide something new even with a familiar feel. A character who is recognized by all, but over exaggerated to no prevail. The Snake is a comedy indeed, but one set to reach that specific audience of people.
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