TrollHunter

Review:

When students Thomas (Tosterud), Johanna (Mørck) and Kalle (Larsen) hear of a supposed bear poacher, Hans (Jespersen), operating in the area, they decide to film a documentary about him. Desperate to get an interview, they follow Hans on one of his hunts, only to discover him after something much more deadly than bears: trolls. Not mere myths, they’ve been kept secret and in check by the Norwegian government for decades, aided by people like Hans. But now, the trolls are acting strangely, roaming far outside their territories; so, along with the students and their camera, Hans sets out to get to the bottom of it all.

Trollhunter uses the found footage style to great effect; the film aims to feel like both a documentary and the story of a group of students caught up in something much bigger than them, and does so wonderfully. The effects for the trolls also deserves special mention, making the trolls feel like living, breathing creatures just stepped out of the tales of old. It’s also clear a lot of research has been done into the stories, and the behaviour of the trolls mostly remains faithful to the source.

Whilst the trolls are the true main stars of the film, all the human performers, mostly either famous Norwegian comedians or relative unknowns, turn in good performances as well. Jespersen is the main standout of the people, easily filling the roll of the gruff, grizzled, unsung hero, for whom the events of the film are pretty much a more exciting day’s work. Tosterud, Larsen and Mørck all do well as the unwitting students brought along for the ride, and maybe biting off just a bit more than they can chew.

People may say the found footage genre is becoming old and stale, but Trollhunter proves there’s life in the old troll yet.

Thomas Freeman