Trollhunter is a 2010 Norwegian dark fantasy horror film, made in the form of a "found footage" mockumentary. It is written and directed by André Øvredal, and features a mixed cast of relatively unknown actors and well-known Norwegian comedians, including Otto Jespersen.
Plot[]
A group of students from Volda University College, Thomas, Johanna and their cameraman Kalle, set out to make a documentary about a suspected bear poacher, Hans. 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, 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 bitten by a large animal. They escape in Hans's Land Rover and discover their own vehicle turned over with the tires ripped off. Hans admits that he does not hunt bears, but trolls. Though skeptical, the students ask if they can join Hans and film his hunt, to which he consents on the condition that they do 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 checks if any of them believe in God or Jesus, because a troll can smell a Christian man's blood. Hans wields a "flash gun", a weapon that emits powerful UV-rays to simulate sunlight and turn trolls to stone, though he comments that sometimes the trolls "just explode". The students are stunned when Hans flushes out a giant three-headed troll. 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 try to determine why.
The students accompany Hans on another hunt using goats on a bridge as bait. Hans successfully obtains a blood sample from a bridge troll 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 trolls. The trolls return unexpectedly and the group is trapped inside. The situation gets more tense as Kalle confesses that he is a Christian. The trolls eventually smell 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 killed.
The replacement camerawoman is Malica, a Muslim and 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 a Jotnar, a giant mountain troll 50–100 meters tall. Thomas falls ill, and they learn that the troll blood sample came back positive for rabies. 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. He directs the others to find the highway. Finn and his government agents arrive to confiscate the students' tapes. Thomas flees with the camera and is seen collapsing at the side of a road when the tape cuts out. Just before the cut to black a truck is seen stopping next to the camera. Presumably the driver is the person who "found the footage". 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 Minister Jens Stoltenberg appearing to admit to the existence of trolls, though the press fails to take notice.
Cast[]
- Otto Jespersen as Hans the trollhunter
- Hans Morten Hansen as Finn
- Tomas Alf Larsen as Kalle
- Johanna Mørck as Johanna
- Knut Nærum as a power company manager
- Robert Stoltenberg as a Polish bear hunter
- Glenn Erland Tosterud as Thomas
- Urmila Berg-Domaas as Malica
Production[]
Filming took place in the forests and mountains of Western Norway, and actress Johanna Mørck called it an exhausting experience. 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 a viral effect.
For the film's final scene, a clip of former Norwegian Prime minister Jens Stoltenberg speaking about an oil field outside Norway called the Troll Field was edited to create the appearance of him admitting the existence of trolls.
