Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sardonic
- bleak
- tense
- rainy day
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics generally found the crime comedy clever and well performed, praising its ensemble timing and stark Wisconsin imagery despite some concerns about editing and structure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mickey's fraudulent salesmanship, criminal partnership, and mounting danger are repeatedly framed through dry comic situations.
Mickey's dishonest insurance scheme expands into the theft of a rare violin and rapidly destabilizes his life.
The rare violin at the reclusive farmer's home is the concrete object driving the theft plot.
The Wisconsin winter and widescreen images of the snowy tundra give the crime story a stark, unusually luminous noir atmosphere.
Films like Thin Ice, and why
Fargo
Shared darkly comic crime plotting, morally compromised protagonists, and escalating schemes that turn against their creators.
The Ice Harvest
Shared bleakly humorous Midwest setting, criminal desperation, eccentric characters, and sharply observed moral failure.
The Informant!
Shared con-artist mechanics, comic tension, and a protagonist whose self-serving scheme becomes increasingly precarious.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jill Sprecher
- Release Date
- 2012-02-17
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (185)
Cast
- Greg Kinnear
- Alan Arkin
- Billy Crudup
- David Harbour
- Michelle Arthur
- Peter Thoemke
- James Michael Detmar
- Lea Thompson
- Bob Balaban
- John Paul Gamoke
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, History Vault, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Thin Ice about?
- A crooked Wisconsin insurance salesman recruits a dangerous partner for a violin theft, only to watch his opportunistic scheme spiral into darkly comic catastrophe.
- What is Thin Ice like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Thin Ice as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Thin Ice violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Thin Ice as moderate.
- What did critics think of Thin Ice?
- Critics generally found the crime comedy clever and well performed, praising its ensemble timing and stark Wisconsin imagery despite some concerns about editing and structure.
- Which films are like Thin Ice?
- Films with a similar feel include Fargo, The Ice Harvest, and The Informant!.
- How long is Thin Ice?
- Thin Ice runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Thin Ice?
- In United States, Thin Ice streams on Amazon Prime Video, History Vault, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
