After watching 26 horror movies, I was kind of losing my interest. I picked Trollhunter on a whim after searching through lots of options. The film sounded different than most I’ve watched and I needed a change. Fortunately, I really loved this movie as it used the found footage pretty well throughout. The story is interesting and I love the idea of a government conspiracy covering up trolls. I give Trollhunter the Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy rating.
Trollhunter is a monster movie found footage style that works
Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Johanna (Johanna Morck), and Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) are a group of student reporters seeking an interview. They target a suspected bear poacher, named Hans (Otto Jespersen), and track him relentlessly. They find he hunts bigger and more dangerous game than bears. The trio embarks on what will surely be the documentary of a lifetime.
Director André Øvredal really utilized the found footage style perfectly in this film. There are a few shots towards the end that seem to be from a different camera. However, the rest of the film really makes sense with the filmmakers camera being our only eye into the world. The reason we are in this format feels natural and adds to the film. Unlike many other films, we see the trolls early and frequent. The shots aren’t always clear as the trolls are often attacking them. However, when we do see them they’re impressive especially the ones towards the end.
The actors are all well cast. The kids filming definitely seem like college students who stumbled into this epic story. Hans is absolutely amazing on screen and I definitely agree with Thomas calling him a superhero. The film is set in the Norwegian area so you’ll have to read subtitles if you don’t speak the native tongue. However, I was extremely captivated by the film and the characters. The blending of government conspiracy theorists and fairytales made for an interesting adventure.
I’m not sure everyone would love this movie, but it’s quite a feat. Under $5 million dollar budget, this film definitely feels like a product of love. The special effects are solid, the troll designs are awesome, and the acting is great. There is enough lore to entice you into the story, but not so much that it bogs the movie down. Definitely a film worth checking out and is currently free on Amazon Prime.
Berkreviews.com 