There’s Something in the Barn

After an intro that sets the film up for the title, director Magnus Martens and writers Alexsander Kirkwood Brown, Josh Epstein and Kyle Rideout turn to an American family moving to rural Norway.

To be exact dad Bill (Martin Starr) drags his kids Nora (Zoe Winter-Hansen) and Lucas (Townes Bunner) and their step-mother Carol (Amrita Acharia) to the farm he has inherited from his uncle. Carol aside the children aren’t that happy with in particular Nora, who is desperately missing her friends. Lucas is however more curious about the new home and begins to explore and soon finds that they aren’t as alone as they expected with a ‘nisse’ in the barn.

Researching at the locally Lucas is advised about of the rules of keeping these lodgers happy. Not that the adviser is convinced as ‘nisse’ (Elves) are not real. Needless to say, the rules are broken and all hell is unleashed on the family and the community.

This is fairly predictable with a family that while not quite in the Griswolds league of family unit idiocy, it’s not far off. What separates them is that for all their faults the Griswolds love each other. This lot are dysfunctional with the usual step-mother/children’s issues and dad for the most part pathetic and not very likeable.

What does go some way towards propping up the film are the fine supporting cast of the Henriette Steenstrup as local copper who doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in the family, and Calle Hellevang-Larsen; laid back and happy to impart his knowledge on elf lore, even though he doesn’t believe it himself.

As a comedy its patchy with some culture clashes and banter within the family unit. And it doesn’t blend at all well with the horror that is pretty violent though just goes on far too long when all elves break loose.

There’s Something In The Barn will be available in UK Cinemas & Digital Download from 1 December 2023.