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Trollhunter

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For the animated series, seeTrollhunters: Tales of Arcadia.

Trollhunter
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAndré Øvredal
Written byAndré Øvredal
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyHallvard Bræin
Edited byPer-Erik Eriksen
Production
companies
  • Filmkameratene A/S
  • Film Fund FUZZ
Distributed bySF Norge A/S
Release date
  • 29 October 2010(2010-10-29)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryNorway
Languages
  • Norwegian
  • English
BudgetNOK 19 million
($3.5 million)
Box officeNOK 24 million
($4.2 million)[1]

Trollhunter(Norwegian:Trolljegeren;UK:Troll Hunter;Canada:The Troll Hunter) is a 2010 Norwegiandark fantasyfilm, made as a "found footage"mockumentary.[2][3][4]Written and directed byAndré Øvredaland featuring a mixed cast of relatively unknown actors and well-known Norwegian comedians, includingOtto Jespersen,Trollhunterreceived positive reviews from Norwegian critics. It opened on 10 June 2011 in the US[5]to a mostly positive critical reception.[6]

Plot[edit]

A group of students fromVolda University College,Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Johanna (Johanna Mørck) and their cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen), set out to make a documentary about a suspected bear poacher, Hans (Otto Jespersen). At the site of an illegally slain bear they interview local hunters, who comment that the bear tracks look odd, as well as Finn Haugen (Hans Morten Hansen), head of the Norwegian Wildlife Board. Finn dismisses the idea that the bear tracks could have been faked. The students follow Hans in an attempt to secure an interview but he continually rebuffs them. After following him into a forest at night time, they see mysterious flashing lights and hear roars. Hans comes running back, screaming "Troll!" Thomas is attacked and reveals that he was bitten by something. They escape in Hans'sLand Roverand discover their own vehicle turned over with the tyres ripped off. Hans admits that it is not bears he is hunting, buttrolls.Though sceptical, the students ask if they can join Hans and film his hunt, to which he consents on the condition that they do exactly as he instructs.

The next day Hans makes them disguise themselves with "troll stench" (a slimy concentrate made from "everything you can squeeze out of a troll" ) and asks if any of them believe inGodorJesus,because a troll can smell aChristianman's blood. Hans wields a "flash gun", a weapon that emits powerfulUV-raysto simulate sunlight and turn trolls to stone, though he comments that sometimes the trolls "just explode" depending on how old they are. The students are stunned when Hans flushes out a giant three-headed troll (called a Tusseladd). Hans manages to turn the troll to stone and explains to the students that he only allowed them to come along because he's tired of working for little compensation and wants them to divulge the truth. Finn, who actually works for the Troll Security Service (TSS), arrives with a team to deposit a bear carcass and plant fake tracks, and tells the students that they will not be allowed to keep their tapes. In a series of interviews, Hans reveals that Finn's work is to keep trolls a secret, while his is to kill any that come near populated areas. He also explains that the trolls have been acting aggressively lately and have begun to leave their territories more often than usual, and that he must get a troll blood sample to determine why.

The students accompany Hans on another hunt using live goats on a bridge as bait. Hans successfully obtains a blood sample from a bridge troll (Raglefant) and takes it to a veterinarian who works for the TSS, but finds that it will take several days before any results can be found. Investigating a farm where a number of trees have been uprooted, Hans and the film crew find troll tracks leading into an abandoned mine, the lair of a pack of cave trolls (Dovregubbens). The trolls return unexpectedly and the group is trapped inside. The situation becomes more tense when Kalle confesses that he is, in fact, a Christian. The trolls pick up Kalle's scent and discover the group. In a panic, the group runs for the safety of daylight at the cave entrance, but Kalle is caught and killed before he can escape.

The replacement camerawoman is Malica, aMuslim;Hans is uncertain about how trolls will react to that. Finn demands that Hans head north to troll territory to get the problem under control. The group finds signs of aJotnar,a giant mountain troll 61 metres tall. Thomas falls ill, and they learn that the troll blood sample came back positive forrabies,meaning Thomas has been infected by the bite he received several days earlier.

After several attempts, Hans manages to kill the Jotnar by launching a rocket-like projectile that transforms the troll into stone. Before doing so, he directs the others to find the highway. Finn and his TSS agents arrive to confiscate the students' tapes. Thomas flees with the camera and collapses at the side of a road when the tape cuts out. Just before the cut to black, a truck is seen coming down the road towards the camera. An epilogue tells the audience that none of the students were heard from again. The film ends with a news clip of the Norwegian Prime MinisterJens Stoltenbergappearing to admit to the existence of trolls, though the press fails to take notice.[7]

Cast[edit]

  • Otto Jespersenas Hans the trollhunter
  • Hans Morten Hansenas Finn
  • Tomas Alf Larsen as Kalle
  • Johanna Mørck as Johanna
  • Knut Nærumas a power company manager
  • Robert Stoltenbergas a Polish bear hunter
  • Glenn Erland Tosterud as Thomas
  • Urmila Berg-Domaas as Malica
  • Torunn Lødemel Stokkeland as Hilda, a veterinarian

Production[edit]

Filming took place in the forests and mountains ofWestern Norway,and actress Johanna Mørck called it an exhausting experience.[8]According to director André Øvredal, the team tried to maintain maximum secrecy around the project. They kept both the title and cast secret until shortly before the première, dropping cryptic teasers to create aviraleffect.[9]

For the film's final scene, a clip of former Norwegian Prime ministerJens Stoltenbergspeaking about an oil field outside Norway called the Troll Field was edited to create the appearance of him admitting to the existence of trolls.[7]

Soundtrack[edit]

The song "Mjød" byKvelertakis featured over the ending credits sequence, followed by "In the Hall of the Mountain King"from Norwegian composerEdvard Grieg's music for the playPeer Gynt.The latter song's quiet, downbeat ending is abruptly followed by a VFX clip, showing the family of "Mountain King" trolls (the third of four troll types depicted in the movie) clawing and shrieking at the camera. While otherwise in Norwegian, the credits end with the English phrase "No trolls were harmed during the making of this movie."

Cultural references[edit]

The paintingSoria Moria CastlebyTheodor Kittelsen
Troll painting by Theodor Kittelsen
Troll painting byJohn Bauer

Trollhuntercontains many references toNorwegian cultureandNorwegian folktalesin particular.[10]Among those are the belief that there are different species of trolls, such as the woodland and mountain trolls, which can be further categorised into subspecies as in the film. The most well-known is probably the Mountain King, which is mentioned in the playPeer Gyntandits musicbyEdvard Grieg.The Norwegian name for Mountain King,Dovregubbe,is a compound word whose first part is used in the name for the mountain rangeDovrefjellwhere the characters meet the final troll.[11]

Other commontroll descriptionsfrom Norwegian folklore which are used in the film include trolls having a tail, multiple heads, the ability to smell a Christian's blood, eating rocks, but loving meat and sometimes being man-eaters. The trolls are also described as big, old, strong, but slow and dim-witted, turning to stone when exposed to sunlight. The latter is a point emphasised in the film, as Hans uses UV light to kill the trolls. However, he also states that not everything from the tales is true.[12][13]

The film also has several specific references to fairy tales. For exampleThe Boy Who Had an Eating Match with a Trollwhen the camera man asks about an eating contest, and theThree Billy Goats Gruffwhen Hans attempts to lure a troll from under a bridge using three goats. The fairy taleSoria Moria Castleis one of the tales that tells about trolls being able to smell a Christian man's blood. A painting byTheodor Kittelsenbased on the same fairy tale is also used as a backdrop on one of the trips they do in the film (Thomas stands in the same pose and asks his friends "Do I look like that famous painting?" ). The look of the trolls in the film is also influenced by painters like Theodor Kittelsen andJohn Bauer.[14]

As reflected by how the students answer Hans, only a fraction of Norwegians consider themselves religious or visit the church regularly,[15]even though the majority of Norwegians are members ofthe state church.[16]

The film also makes references to the often heated conflict between farmers and predators eating their livestock and the farmers' limited ability to react without breaking Norwegian wild life regulations.[17]Similarly, there are conflicts that arise when new power lines need to be passed through the landscape.[18]

With several of the cast being comedians that are fairly well-known to the Norwegian audience, including Otto Jespersen playing Hans, it also sets the tone of the film for many. Robert Stoltenberg playing the Polish bear hunter makes that scene less serious, and plays on xenophobic stereotypes that most Norwegian immigrants are fromPoland,[19]often speak mediocre Norwegian orEnglish,do what they are told without asking questions[20]and often do the work Norwegians won't do themselves.[21]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

Norway[edit]

In a review forNRK,the Norwegian Broadcasting Company; Birger Vestmo gave the film six out of six points and wrote that "a new Norwegian classic is born". He also applauded the film for combining Norwegian cultural elements with Hollywood cinematic flair.[22]Dagbladet's Inger Merete Hobbelstad gave the film fourpointsout of six and compared it toThe Blair Witch Project.She complained that thedramaturgycould have been better at times. The special effects she found to be of variable quality, though certain scenes were "amazing". She also highlighted Jespersen's performance as essential to the film's success.[23]The film received four points out of six in the newspapersKlassekampen[24]andVerdens Gangas well.Verdens Gangcritic Morten Ståle Nilsen summed it up as "Better than we feared. Weaker than we could hope." Nilsen also made the comparison toThe Blair Witch Projectand predicted great commercial success for the film. Like Hobbelstad he appreciated Jespersen's effort.[25]

Mode Steinkjer inDagsavisen,gave the film five out of six points. He commended Øvredal's ability to combine "subtle humour with physical tension" and also commented on the "striking naturalness" displayed by Tosterud, Larsen and Mørck as the three students.[26]Kjersti Nipen, on the other hand, reviewing the film forAftenposten,gave the movie only three points out of six. She called it "flat, predictable and rather devoid of content". Although she regarded it as funny at times, Nipen found the use of the mockumentary format exhausted and overused.[27]The review inMorgenbladetwas not favourable.[28]

International[edit]

Outside Norway,Trollhunterreceived a positive reception from critics. The film has an approval rating of 82% onreview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,based on 110 reviews, and an average rating of 6.6/10. The site's consensus reads, "Trollhunteris a mockumentary with an appropriate level of creeping dread, but one that also benefits from generous helpings of dry wit. "[6]Metacriticassigned the film a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generaly favourable reviews".[29]

Mike Hale ofThe New York Timescalled it a "clever and engaging mock documentary" with "ultradry Nordic humor", though "about 20 percent too long" with "more traveling shots through car windows of thefjord-land scenery than are absolutely necessary ". The special effects, while" created with a computer-graphics budget that we can assume was far short of the Hollywood standard, are surprisingly lifelike and frightening ".[30]Frank LoveceofFilm Journal Internationalpraised star Jespersen for "what ought to be a star-making dramatic performance", and found the film "both a remarkably suspenseful voyage... and a dry-witted commentary on the nature of expedient bureaucracy... Part horror movie, part social satire, and bursting with Norway’s savage beauty... it is destined to be a classic of its kind."[5]V. A. Musetto of theNew York Postgave it three stars out of four and cautioned, "You'll want to catch this clever movie before Hollywood ruins everything with a dumb remake."[31]British writer Ross Miller ofBlog Criticsgave it 4.5 stars out of 5 and said, "Troll Huntertakes what is now a conventional style of found footage filmmaking and puts a unique stamp on it... one of the best examples of this type of film so far. "[32]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2011 Amanda Award[33] Best Visual Effects (Årets visuelle effekter) Oystein Larsen & Marcus B. Brodersen Won
Public Choice Award André Øvredal Won
Best Actor (Årets mannlige skuespiller) Otto Jespersen Nominated
Best Editing (Årets klipp) Per-Erik Eriksen Nominated
Best Screenplay (Årets filmmanuskript) André Øvredal Nominated
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival Silver Raven Award for Best Director Nominated
Newport Beach Film Festival[34] Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking Won
2012 17th Empire Awards[35] Best Horror Trollhunter Nominated
38th Saturn Awards[36] Best International Film Nominated
FangoriaChainsaw Awards Best Foreign-Language Film Nominated

Cancelled remake[edit]

Prior to the theatrical release ofTrollhunter,producersJohn M. Jacobsenand Sveinung Golimo had been given requests for the film to beremade.As a result, both had travelled to the United States to meet with stakeholders.[37]When the film opened in the United States the following year,Deadline Hollywoodannounced that directorChris Columbus' company,1492 Pictures,along withCJ Entertainment & Media,had acquired rights to remake the film.[38]Neil Marshallwas to direct the remake.[39]As of November 2016, however, the remake has been cancelled.[40][41]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^TrollhunteratBox Office Mojo
  2. ^Smail, Christopher (17 April 2014)."10 Great Modern Scandinavian Films".Illusion Magazine.Scene360.Retrieved13 November2016.
  3. ^Brookes, Raven (19 December 2011)."The Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren) (2010)".This Is Horror.Retrieved13 November2016.
  4. ^Nguyen, Stacey (7 July 2018)."15 Lightweight Horror Movies on Netflix That Won't Scar You For Life".Popsugar.Retrieved17 October2018.
  5. ^abLovece, Frank (10 June 2011)."Film Review: Troll Hunter".Film Journal International.Retrieved10 June2011.
  6. ^abTrollhunteratRotten Tomatoes
  7. ^abEggertsen, Chris (6 May 2011)."Interview: Andre Ovredal, Director of 'TrollHunter'!!".Bloody Disgusting.Retrieved12 May2012.
  8. ^Ødegård, Espen (29 October 2010)."Som et eventyr å være med på".Ringerikes Blad(in Norwegian).Retrieved29 October2010.
  9. ^Hole, Ronald E.; Ursin, Lars Holger (26 October 2010)."Det var helt vilt".Bergens Tidende(in Norwegian). Archived fromthe originalon 30 October 2010.Retrieved29 October2010.
  10. ^Gerle, Jörg (April 2011). "Troll Hunter".Film-Dienst.64(8): 42.
  11. ^Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra (2014).Found Footage Horror Films: Fear and the Appearance of Reality.McFarland & Company. p. 188.ISBN9781476613215.
  12. ^Bann, Jenny; Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew (2014).Trolls in Film: Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters.Ashgate Publishing. p. 548.ISBN9781409425632.Retrieved2 January2016.
  13. ^Leffler, Yvonne (2013). Savolainen, Matti; Mehtonen, P. M. (eds.).Gothic Topographies: Language, Nation Building and 'Race'.Ashgate Publishing. pp. 141–153.ISBN9781409451679.
  14. ^Woerner, Meredith (5 May 2011)."Know Your Trolls: A guide to troll science from the director of TrollHunter".io9.Retrieved6 October2013.
  15. ^Mykkeltvedt, Alette Gilhus (20 June 2011)."Få nordmenn i kirken, men ikke færre enn før"(in Norwegian). Norsk samfunnsvitenskapelig datatjeneste. Archived fromthe originalon 25 August 2012.Retrieved6 October2013.
  16. ^"Church of Norway, 2012".Statistisk Sentralbyrå. 19 June 2013.Retrieved6 October2013.
  17. ^Bårdsgård, Hans (27 October 2011)."Norsk Sau og Geit er skeptisk til rovdyrtapstall for sau".Nationen(in Norwegian).Retrieved6 October2013.
  18. ^"Kampen fortsetter i Hardanger".NRK(in Norwegian). 26 June 2011.Retrieved6 October2013.
  19. ^"Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents".Statistisk sentralbyrå. 28 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 14 November 2011.Retrieved6 October2013.
  20. ^Evensen, Mari Rollag (6 December 2011)."Norskundervisning er ikke nok for å unngå arbeidsulykker"[Language classes are not enough to avoid work accidents].NRK(in Norwegian).Retrieved6 October2013.
  21. ^Haugsbø, Frank; Nervik, Stein; Bondø, Tor-Hartvig; Henriksen, Thor Harald (8 December 2011)."Det eksisterer ikke polakkarbeid, bare arbeid"[There is no such thing as Polish work, only work].E24(in Norwegian).Retrieved6 October2013.
  22. ^Vestmo, Birger (26 October 2010)."Trolljegeren".NRK(in Norwegian).Retrieved26 October2010.
  23. ^Hobbelstad, Inger Merete (28 October 2010)."Tøys og tull - og troll".Dagbladet(in Norwegian).Retrieved29 October2010.
  24. ^Kulås, Guri (28 October 2010). "Troll i ord?".Klassekampen(in Norwegian). p. 28.
  25. ^Nilsen, Morten Ståle (27 October 2010)."Trolls til fjells".Verdens Gang(in Norwegian).Retrieved29 October2010.
  26. ^Steinkjer, Mode (28 October 2010)."Sprekker ikke".Dagsavisen(in Norwegian). Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2010.Retrieved29 October2010.
  27. ^Nipen, Kjersti (28 October 2010)."Lite eventyrlig om troll".Aftenposten(in Norwegian).Retrieved29 October2010.
  28. ^Eriksen, Ulrik (29 October 2010). "Sprekkeferdig".Morgenbladet(in Norwegian). pp. 28–29.
  29. ^"Trollhunter".Metacritic.
  30. ^Hale, Mike (9 June 2011)."'Trollhunter' Review ".The New York Times.Retrieved10 June2011.
  31. ^Musetto, V. A. (9 June 2011)."Just grin and bear the trolls".New York Post.Retrieved10 June2011.
  32. ^Miller, Ross (19 June 2011)."EIFF 2011 Movie Review: Troll Hunter".Blog Critics.Retrieved19 August2011.
  33. ^"Amanda Winners 2011".The Norwegian International Film Festival. 27 August 2011.Retrieved3 July2012.
  34. ^Peters, Sarah (6 May 2011)."Newport Beach Film Festival announces awards".Daily Pilot.p. 2.Retrieved3 July2012.
  35. ^Reynolds, Simon (25 March 2012)."Jameson Empire Awards 2012 - winners in full".Digital Spy.Retrieved3 July2012.
  36. ^"Nominations For The 38th Annual Saturn Awards".The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. Archived fromthe originalon 17 July 2012.Retrieved3 July2012.
  37. ^Haugen, Ida Anna (28 October 2010).""Trolljegeren" -produsent: - Man må ta troll på alvor ".Verdens Gang(in Norwegian).Retrieved29 October2010.
  38. ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (10 June 2011)."Norwegian Fright Film 'Troll Hunter' In Remake Deal With Chris Columbus' 1492 And CJ Entertainment".Deadline Hollywood.Retrieved10 June2011.
  39. ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (20 September 2013)."Neil Marshall Set To Helm 'Troll Hunter' Redo".Deadline Hollywood.Retrieved17 February2017.
  40. ^Giroux, Jack (10 November 2016)."The 'Troll Hunter' Remake Is Dead"./Film.Retrieved8 March2017.
  41. ^Rife, Katie (11 November 2016)."That Troll Hunter remake isn't happening after all".The A.V. Club.Retrieved8 March2017.

Other sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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