Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby are also quite wonderful as a burgeoning teenage couple. The actors share genuine chemistry and their relationship is so carefully and incrementally developed that it feels completely authentic. While not cast in a main role, the typically slapstick comedienne Amy Sedaris deserves notice for her portrayal of a waitress whose husband commits adultery. Unsurprisingly, Sedaris is able to provide some much needed comic relief from the frequently dark subject matter, but she also proves to be quite a subtle and effective dramatic actress when given the opportunity. There’s really nothing negative to be said about the entire cast, who all deliver at least one stand-out scene, be it comic or dramatic.

The tone of Snow Angels varies widely from scene to scene, with moments of subtle character humor and genuinely upsetting drama carefully intertwined throughout the running time (even the opening sequence features an awkwardly hilarious marching band distracted by gunshots). It’s a difficult balancing act to pull off effectively, but one that David Gordon Green manages perfectly. This tonal juggling act has always been part of the director’s work, but it was also the main contributing factor in the episodic nature of his movies. Here Green deftly mixes the two tones in a controlled narrative without it ever feeling awkward or miscalculated. If you can appreciate Green’s desire combine comedy and tragedy in a manner that mimics life, Snow Angels offers a beautiful, if emotionally draining experience. Sadly, most viewers will just be confused by the tone and feel uncomfortable when they can’t lump the movie into an obvious genre. But what are those people doing in an art house theater anyways? They should be at 10,000 BC, enjoying the soothing feeling of their brain cells slowly dying while they feast their eyes on a series of mindless special effects sequences.