Troll Hunter

One of the surprise hits at last year’s Film4 FrightFest, this ‘creature feature’ fuses fairytale lore with B-movie aesthetic.

Troll Hunter is the debut by Norwegian director Andre Ovredal, and yes, this horror-comedy is yet another one of those hand-held camera affairs that can leave you somewhat nauseated during watching.
Thankfully though, this ‘found footage’ mockumentary holds enough tongue-in-cheek laughs in store to make up for the occasionally wonky picture.

In the wake of several mutilations and peculiar deaths of some tourists in dark forests, the government plays down all sorts of speculations with the official line that rogue bears are responsible. But local hunters won’t have any of this nonsense, neither does a trio of college students (why is it always college students in these kind of movies?) who have been stalking alleged poacher Hans with the intention of filming him. Their persistence in pursuing him finally pays off when they fall both victims and witness to a nightly attack – only it isn’t a bear but something much larger and more dangerous. Eventually, Hans reveals his real profession: he is actually a troll hunter employed by the government! Still sceptical, the students agree to assist Hans in his (literally) odd job. They hope that their planned documentary will finally shed light on the ghastly goings-on in the deep Norwegian woods and snowy mountains. Question is: will they survive to tell the tale?

Although it takes a while until the first troll shows up in the movie, the beasts look suitably menacing and not like creatures out of Frank Oz’ Muppets workshop. There are several trolls featured throughout and we even learn a few things in the process, for example that trolls can either explode or turn to stone if exposed to bright light, that some of them grow three heads as they grow older, that they hate Christians (!) and that they like to break wind!
The scene in which the crew drive in a snowcat and get chased by a particularly nasty troll specimen makes for a great climax.

Extras include trailer, deleted as well as extended scenes, ‘Behind the Scenes’ featurette and stills gallery.