Troll (2022 film)

For other uses, see Troll (disambiguation).

Troll
Promotional release poster
Directed by	Roar Uthaug
Written by	Espen Aukan
Produced by	Espen Horn Kristian Strand Sinkerud
Starring	Ine Marie Wilmann Kim Falck Mads Sjøgård Pettersen Gard B. Eidsvold Pål Richard Lunderby Eric Vorenholt
Cinematography	Jallo Faber
Edited by	Christoffer Heie
Music by	Johannes Ringen
Production company	Motion Blur
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	1 December 2022
Running time	101 minutes
Country	Norway
Language	Norwegian

Troll is a 2022 Norwegian monster film directed by Roar Uthaug. Starring Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, Gard B. Eidsvold, Pål Richard Lunderby, and Eric Vorenholt, it follows a ragtag group of people who must come together to stop an ancient troll that was awakened in a Norwegian mountain and prevent it from wreaking havoc.

In August 2020, TheWrap revealed that Uthaug had been planning the film for over 20 years, but it had only recently begun to come to fruition. Concept art of the titular monster attacking Oslo was released in March 2021. Principal photography began in September 2021 and wrapped prior to 20 January 2022.

Troll was released by Netflix on 1 December 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the performances, score, cinematography, direction, visual effects, and action sequences but criticism towards its derivative plot.

Plot

After the death of several protesters in the mountains of Dovre, the Norwegian government seeks the help of paleontologist Nora Tidemman, who teams up with the Prime Minister's advisor Andreas, and a Norwegian military soldier Kris. The three also seek assistance from Nora's father and folklore expert, Tobias, who in the past lost his job for his belief in the existence of the mythical creatures called trolls. The group determines a troll is responsible for the death of the protesters and must find a way to stop both the creature before it causes more mayhem and their government before they decide to pull a very dangerous trigger.

The Prime Minister arranges for a military operation led by Kris as the property damage the troll left behind escalates further, but the contemporary weapons only serve to annoy it. Tobias tries communicating with the troll but sadly loses his life. Nora's idea of attacking the monster with church bells fails spectacularly, causing even more carnage and damage. To make matters worse, at this point, news outlets from around the world have picked up the story and broadcast it globally.

As the troll heads to Norway's capital, Oslo, the Prime Minister orders a complete evacuation of the city. While Nora loses her seat at the table, Andreas decides to resign from his position after learning the government's plan to bomb Oslo and, hopefully, destroy the troll. Meanwhile, Nora makes one last attempt at finding out the truth about the creature. Tobias' notes lead them to the Royal castle, where they meet Chief of Court Rikard Sinding, who finally reveals the truth about the trolls in Norway. As it turns out, Tobias was right all along, and these mythical creatures used to walk the country's lands. When Nora's dad got too close to the truth, Sinding himself arranged for the old man to be committed to a mental health hospital to protect the secret. The Royal palace was built on top of the Troll King's palace after the Christians massacred his troll family and left him for dead inside the mountain, explaining why the creature was heading for Oslo in the first place: he is attempting to return to his home. The revelation dismays Nora as the decision to frame her father was what strained their relationship in the first place, as much as her disgust at her country's dark secret.

After discovering that trolls are indeed sensitive to sunlight, Nora calls Kris, and they plan to expose the troll to UV lights from a number of tanning beds. While Kris calls on fellow soldiers to make the troll trap, Andreas asks his friend Sigrid back at the top-secret government facility to delay the nuke-Oslo-kill-troll plan. Fortunately, Sigrid as a very capable hacker manages to interfere with the military's systems to halt the nuclear strike. Nora and Andreas place the skull of one of the troll's babies in the back of the Queen's favorite truck and lure him to the UV light trap. As the plan is working perfectly, Nora has a last-minute change of heart, turns off the lights, and tries saving the creature's life. Unfortunately, she is too late; the sun rises, this time without being covered by clouds, and kills the troll. While everyone else is rejoicing, Andreas and Nora begin to wonder whether more trolls are still alive deep inside Norway's mountains.

In the aftermath, another troll rises from the rubble inside the Dovre mountain cave.

Cast

• Ine Marie Wilmann as Nora Tidemann
• Kim Falck as Andreas Isaksen
• Mads Sjøgård Pettersen as Captain Kristoffer Holm
• Gard B. Eidsvold as Tobias Tidemann
• Anneke von der Lippe as Prime Minister Berit Moberg
• Fridtjov Såheim as Minister of Defence Frederick Markussen
• Dennis Storhøi as Chief of Defence General Sverre Lunde
• Karoline Viktoria Sletteng Garvang as Sigrid Hodne
• Yusuf Toosh Ibra as Amir
• Bjarne Hjelde as Chief of Court Rikard Sinding
• Ameli Olving Sælevik as Young Nora Tidemann
• Billy Campbell as Dr. David Secord
• Jon Ketil Johnsen as Professor Møller
• Duc Paul Mai-The as Professor Wangel
• Ingrid Vollan as Oddrun Gundersen
• Trond Magnum as Lars Gundersen
• Pål Richard Lunderby as Fisker
• Eric Vorenholt as an OPS officer
• Hugo Mikal Skår as a helicopter soldier

Production

Troll was first reported by the news website TheWrap on 25 August 2020, which featured a synopsis and this statement from director Roar Uthaug:

Troll is an idea that has been developing in the back of my mind for over 20 years. To finally be able to realize it with the enthusiastic and ambitious people at Netflix and Motion Blur is truly a dream come true. I can't wait to unleash this Norwegian monster on the world.

In March 2021, Bloody Disgusting revealed concept art of the titular monster attacking Oslo. Filming of Troll began in September 2021 and wrapped prior to 20 January 2022. In January 2022, David Kosse of Netflix described the film as "a giant four-quadrant event movie that happens to take place in Norway... with a troll."

Release

Distribution

Troll was distributed by Netflix on 1 December 2022.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 6.10.

Critics deemed the story of a giant monster that wreaks havoc in a populous city derivative of Godzilla and King Kong films. Marco Vito Oddo of Collider gave it a rating of C+, writing that while its "not getting any awards for originality" it nevertheless "delivers what it promises by telling a story about a giant creature that destroys cities in its waking and the humans who try to prevent catastrophe." Michael Gingold, writing for Rue Morgue, said that "clearly, Uthaug is not taking all this entirely seriously, but he never pitches [the film] as a spoof," adding: "he takes spectacle seriously–even when at least one of the operations enacted to subdue the titan border on the downright goofy–and to that end, the visual effects of the troll and its devastation are first-rate, both out in rural areas, including a great reveal that's unfortunately given away in the trailer, and in the midst of the city of Oslo." Bloody Disgusting's Meagan Navarro felt that "what Troll lacks in originality, it makes up for in fresh mythology.", and concluded "it's fun enough and does deliver on spectacle, but most of all, it leaves you rooting for its magnificent creature." Screen Anarchy critic Peter Martin commented "the movie feels faintly familiar," adding: "while refreshingly different, featuring new wrinkles that are well-considered and profoundly satisfying." South China Morning Post reviewer James Marsh felt that despite "the effects work is first-rate and the action efficiently handled", it features a "frustrating lack of Scandinavian specificity on display, with Uthaug more eager to emulate blockbusters like Jurassic Park and Godzilla than introduce international viewers to his homeland’s unique folkloric threats."

External links

• Troll at IMDb