Thin Ice wants to be Fargo. It isn’t.

That’s not bad in itself, of course. Most movies aren’t Fargo.

It’s got the wintry climate and folksy charm of Kenosha and environs, and it’s got a noirish tale of easy money and betrayal that I found moderately compelling. The cast is good enough in all respects.

The problem, as it so often is these days, is the third act. Not only does the wrapup disappoint, it insults the audience. There’s a voiceover where they straight Scooby Doo you – going over the entire story and describing the con in turgid detail. When the Scooby gang does it, it’s because their audience is full of children. Children are expected not to know anything. They just got here, and they probably weren’t paying attention. When Greg Kinnear does it, it just comes off dickish. The voiceover is really the director telling you he can’t imagine you understood what you just saw.

There is nothing in this movie that should stump anyone who has watched even a few noir films. There is no need for the director to take that victory lap, and it really soured me on the movie.

If you want some icebound noir, just rewatch Fargo.