Review by James Lindorf
The groundhog did not see his shadow, and superstition says that an early spring is in our future. You can celebrate winter while it is still here when Katie Burrell’s “Weak Layers” hits DVD and streaming platforms on February 6th.
The ’80s and early ’90s were an important time for Ski-Centric movies, especially comedies, with “Hot Dog… The Movie,” “Better of Dead,” “Ski School” and its sequel and “Aspen Extreme” leading the way. Over the last 30 years, the genre has all but disappeared, with only a few movies worth mentioning, like “Hot Tub Time Machine” and “Eddie the Eagle.” Burrell, an avid skier growing up and current standup comedian is hoping to revive the ski comedy genre with her debut film “Weak Layers.”
Cleo Brown (Burrell) dreams of making it big in the action film industry, a plan she’s had for the last ten years she’s lived in Tahoe. She has the knowledge and the passion to make a good run at it, but she suffers from a severe lack of confidence. Cleo is best friends and roommates with Tina (Chelsea Conwright), an ex-Olympian who’s lost her funding, and Lucy (Jadyn Wong), a professional party monster and secretly one of the best skiers in town. Life isn’t great, but they are having a good time until things reach financial rock bottom when the trio is evicted from their apartment. The only way to make the required money is to win the 72-hour ski movie competition. However, they’ll have to beat out professional skiers and filmmakers. The friends clash and band together as time dwindles and pressure mounts, and if they aren’t careful, they will lose more than their apartment.
Burrell took on a lot of work for her first production, directing, starring, and co-writing with fellow newcomer Andrew Ladd. In true independent film fashion, Ladd joined the project as a writer, producer, and stunt performer. “Weak Layers” was a labor of love; you can feel that while watching. The best and most consistent element of the film is the chemistry between Burrell, Conwright, and Wong as they navigate the competition and learn that there may be things more important than the next party.
Like its main character, “Weak Layers” appears to suffer from insufficient funds and possibly a lack of experience or confidence. It is easy to understand how first-time filmmakers in so many vital positions could feel overwhelmed by their tasks and that some wouldn’t get the required attention. “Weak Layers” has three main components: the relationship between the three main characters, the comedy, and the skiing action. As I mentioned, the first component is the film’s best element, thanks to solid casting and performances. The comedy and the action both suffer from underdevelopment. There is witty dialogue, some excellent one-liners, and moments of action choreography. Still, it is never enough to satisfy viewers looking for split sides or adrenaline spikes. Whether this problem was caused by a lack of money, time, or experience is unclear. It makes the team, Burrell especially, people to watch because they might bring it all together on their next project, but this time, viewers may be left wanting more.
“Weak Layers” is underwhelming in some aspects, but it is carried by the charm of its story and actresses. It celebrates and satirizes mountain towns and tackles the male-dominated ski industry on its way to earning a score of 2.5 out of five.
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Director: Katie Burrell
Producer: Andrew Ladd, Jared Drake
Writer: Andrew Ladd, Katie Burrell
Release Date (Streaming): February 6th, 2024
Runtime: 1h 39m
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
