Trolljegeren aka The Troll Hunter movie review (2010)

Trolljegeren

a.k.a.

TrollHunter (2010)

Brief review: Written and directed by, André Øvredal, "The Troll Hunter" is a mockumentary that explores the real existence of trolls in a remote regions of Norway. Presented as a rough-cut footage, retrieved from a missing student camera crew and kept 'in secret' by the Norwegian government, "The Troll Hunter" is a breath of fresh air in the mock-doc horror genre, as it offers an incredibly original story, inspired by an old Scandinavian legend, presented in a somewhat believable way, and executed to perfection. Not only "Trolljegeren" is authentic, but also consistently tense, suspenseful and utterly terrifying in moments, plus, its script includes a medical explanation about the trolls and their physiology, which is probably the most curious and interesting part of the story. Visuals-wise, "Trolljegeren" never fails to impress. Thanks to the competent and absolutely flawless CGI work, every single troll is spectacularly-designed, and has its own unique look and feel - they all are formidably huge, ominous and downright mean. Not to speak of the stunningly beautiful forests and mountains of Western Norway, where all the action takes place in. The scenery is as sublimely-imposing as it's creepy, especially during the night sequences, and all this is captured entirely in glorious HD, in order to add even more depth and detail to the already striking visuals. The cast also deliver. Otto Jespersen is tough, yet likable as the Troll hunter himself. He's so composed, confident and fearless, you'll believe every ounce of his performance. Glenn Erland Tosterud delivers the second-best performance in the movie as the enthusiastic Thomas. Tomas Alf Larsen as the cameraman and Johanna Mørck as Johanna, both known to the audience for their roles in "Cold Prey" and its sequel, also give an extremely convincing performances.

Overall summary: Thanks to its uniqueness, chillingly-original concept, pitch-perfect execution and mind-blowing visuals, "The Troll Hunter" is a breath of fresh air into the genre and ranks right up there with such 'found footage' masterpieces as "[REC]" and "The Blair Witch Project".