Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman is currently streaming on major platforms, and it uses the format for more than just a visual hook. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 395 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. A harder one to justify skipping than to start. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

There is a reason Frosty the Snowman keeps coming up in conversation. Visually distinctive and narratively ambitious, Frosty the Snowman operates well above the genre average. A discarded silk top-hat becomes the focus of a struggle between a washed-up stage magician and a group of schoolchildren, after it magically brings a snowman to life. Realizing that newly-living Frosty will melt in spring unless he takes refuge in a colder climate, the magic snowman and Karen, a young girl whom he befriends, stow away on a freight train headed for the North Pole. Little do they know that the magician is following them, and he wants his hat back! Jimmy Durante and Billy De Wolfe bring voice work that does more than the format usually asks for. It hit screens in 1969. The visual gags in Frosty the Snowman reward close attention without ever depending on it. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Frosty the Snowman belongs on any best-of list regardless of format. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Jimmy Durante brings more to the role than the format usually demands. A harder one to justify skipping than to start.

Frosty the Snowman was released in 1969, directed by Jules Bass. The full 25-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.