A Snapshot of Summer on The Set of Snack Shack
Mika Abdalla Reminisces on the Hilarious and Healing Set of ‘Snack Shack’
Words by Michelle Malek
When we first meet Brooke at the top of AJ’s (played by Connor Sherry) rooftop, we immediately get a sense of who she is. Messy bun, sun-kissed tan, camera strapped around the shoulder, and a giant middle finger for her nosey new neighbor set the tone for the self-assured “cool-girl” next-door turned love interest of the movie. My first impression of Mika Abdalla is that she’s indeed an “IRL” cool girl, albeit a lot less intimidating, though she humbly disagrees that she is as cool as Brooke. Snack Shack allowed Abdalla to continue her streak of comedic films as a follow-up to her role as Avery in the movie Sex Appeal.
The truth is, we’ve seen movies made like this before, and Snack Shack proves yet again why we can never get enough of them. “Think Dazed and Confused and Sixteen Candles vibe-type movies,” which Abdalla lists as movies she grew up watching that helped inspire her while filming Snack Shack. Much like your classic 90’s films, Snack Shack includes jokes that push the envelope, gut-punching emotion, and sprinkle in some “fuck dogs”; a recipe for a coming-of-age classic.
Abdalla was initially drawn to Snack Shack since before booking the role, she had yet to have a filming experience where the writer doubled as the director; she admits if she ever had the chance to write a movie, it would be an absolute must for her to direct it. Chalk it up to her being a “control freak,” as she calls herself, but also included that this was a personal film loosely based on the director’s childhood. Snack Shack, written and directed by Adam Rehmeier, is said to be a love letter to Nebraska. Admittedly, Abdalla notes that while she wouldn’t have picked Nebraska as her first choice to spend her summer, it ended up being an unforgettable experience she wished she had at 17.
“It's literally a pool and one main street with three bars on it, and that's it,” referencing time spent with the cast during pre-production in Nebraska City, “Everything is so small that most of what we did is walk around town a billion times and go to the pool.” She explains how Adam Rehmeier’s father, retired District Judge Randall Rehmeier, let the cast borrow his pick-up truck, which had greenlit shenanigans and sunset drives around the city. “We would drive to the county fair happening at the next town over and snuck into a parade. It was stuff we wish we could’ve done in high school, which was healing for us all. I’m not sure how long everyone’s been in the industry, but I don’t think we had experienced your typical high school shenanigans.” The Texas-born star also briefly reminisced on the similarities between her growing up in a somewhat small town and filming on location in Nebraska. “The city I grew up in wasn't as small, but the community was, and everything was walkable, pretty much like Nebraska city. My friends and I would run around the neighborhood or go play in the creek, and [filming] felt very reminiscent of that,” which she later notes is a massive contrast to now living in Los Angeles.
Despite the movie being a summer comedy, complex dynamics and emotions are showcased throughout the film. Jealousy, heartbreak, and the feeling of constantly trying to make your parents proud only to fall short are all part of this story and are feelings that nearly everyone who has lived life as a teenager can relate to. Because of this, in one way or another, audiences will be able to resonate with the film for years to come. Although Abdalla has surpassed her teenage years, she was able to draw parallels in her own life to connect with Brooke’s story. “With Brooke being a military brat and myself growing up in the industry at a young age, we've both done a lot of traveling and had to grow up really fast. We've had to learn a lot of lessons very early that most people wouldn't learn until later on in life.”
“It was stuff we wish we could’ve done in high school, which was healing for us all.”
Much like Brooke’s love for capturing the evolution of a person through her photography, the movie is a snapshot in time. Throughout her experience with filming, Abdalla shares a fondness of her time filming with her co-stars, something that she’ll treasure for years to come. When a project comes to an end, understandably so, it’s safe to ask what’s next. With Snack Shack now released, I was interested to find out that Abdalla plans to tackle a drama in her next role, though she plans on staying in the indie film circuit. “I'm always drawn to more dramatic things, and they honestly come easier to me. I want to stay with this independent film thing, and I'm really interested in doing a drama next, so it pushes me to do something tougher emotionally.” For Abdalla, wherever the road takes her next, Snack Shack will be a summer she will never forget.
Snack Shack is currently playing in theaters and can be purchased on Amazon Prime.