When a blizzard forces a new couple to spend the day inside, it becomes a test of where they are together. A relationship snapshot which nicely captures both the mundane and the intimate conversations associated with getting to know someone. It’s a no frills piece, taking place over one day in a small Brooklyn apartment while an unseen snowstorm rages outside. Likewise, the film allows the characters' offscreen life to emerge (work life, social life, family life are all touched on but never seen). But there’s plenty of action indoors too — as they move from room to room, idle chatter about a roommate’s chili turns into a discussion about spicing up their sex life, and on from there. Cooped up in close quarters, they are forced to reckon with their desires and intentions. Directed by Jesse Thurston, "Snow Day" is a richly observed character study, concise, well-structured but loose, and smart. There’s also several unexpected laughs that arrive naturally from excellent performances.

Directed by Jesse Thurston. Starring Madeline Wise and Gary Richardson.