Hunter Of Troll Munter

The second of my evening's Scandinavian monster movies is The Troll Hunter, brought to us from Norway. Championed by monster fan Guilermo Del Toro for international distribution, it's yet another in the long line of 'found footage' movies along the lines of Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project. The digital film located in this case belongs to three Norwegian University students who are making a documentary, initially following the trail of an unregistered bear hunter who's been seemingly killing the beasts up and down the country. However, when they catch up to him they realise that the lone man is actually tracking and eliminating the region's Troll population.

It's not a horror film, a thriller or even a character drama of any great depth. This is a monster movie and, as the story progresses, the mythology of the giant creatures is revealed...much like a wildlife documentary. The Trolls are treated like wild animals, mostly undetected by humankind as they roam the forests and mountains, instead of the fairytale creatures that most people know them as. We get to understand their life cycle, what they like to eat (amusingly Christians drive them crazy) and the different varieties of the species that exist, and through Hans the Troll Hunter, we explore the methods that the government deploy to keep them hidden from sight.

The effects are well handled, there's a silly streak the permeates the film as the Trolls are seen with their big cartoon noses, and the characters are all distinct and likable. There's very little in the way of story but it's the journey of discovering a new, hidden natural wonder in a realistic way that completely holds the attention. Fantastic stuff.