A tunnel is under construction in a mountain on Dovre in Norway. However, during a blast, something goes horribly wrong, and something within the mountain is awakened. Precisely what it is, no one knows. But it appears to be something ancient, as paleontologist Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Willmann) is interrupted in her fieldwork to attend a secret meeting with several of Norway’s top leaders. Naturally, none of them dare to mention what we, the viewers, already know since the film is titled “Troll,” but Nora is not afraid to suggest it. To get to the bottom of this, they contact Nora’s father, Tobias Tidemann (Gard B. Eidsvold), who has withdrawn from society after being considered insane for believing in trolls. It turns out that he is absolutely right in his belief.
With films like “Cold Prey,” “Escape,” and “The Wave”, Roar Uthaug has been one of the most exciting Norwegian directors to follow. Finally, he brings to life an idea over twenty years old, allowing a gigantic troll to rampage down Karl Johans Gate in Oslo. An idea that hasn’t been easy to realize, considering it requires extensive special effects and a substantial budget. However, after a period in which Norwegian disaster films like “The Wave,” “The Tunnel,” and “The Quake,” were successful, it wasn’t a long stretch to make a disaster film about trolls. Uthaug himself sees the film primarily in the style of adventure films like “Jurassic Park.” It has also been important for Uthaug to give the film a Norwegian touch with stunning natural landscapes, references to Asbjørnsen and Moe, and Theodor Kittelsen. Something he accomplishes to a great extent. It’s impossible, of course, to avoid drawing certain parallels to “Trollhunter” from 2010, which also became a major success far beyond Norwegian’s borders. But where “Trollhunter” is more of a comedy, “Troll” immerses us in a more action-packed adventure of epic proportions.
The film is action-packed, and while Uthaug makes the film feel distinctly Norwegian, there’s little doubt that he’s inspired by American action films. Uthaug himself directed the Hollywood film “Tomb Raider” in 2018, so this genre is something he excels at. The film received generally positive reviews, with most ratings landing at four or five stars from the Norwegian press. However, regardless of what the critics may have said, the film quickly became a massive success for Netflix, with over 128 million hours of viewing in just two weeks after its release. The film quickly became the most-watched movie in several countries and topped the list of the most-viewed non-English-language film in 93 countries. Impressive figures, to say the least.
The film “Troll” did not qualify for nomination for the Amanda Award because it was not shown in theaters. This led to a significant discussion in the Norwegian film industry, and Kjersti Mo, director of the Norwegian Film Institute, withdrew from the Amanda Award, causing the Amanda to lose support from the NFI. As a result, the most-watched Norwegian film in 2022 was disqualified from the country’s most significant national film award because it was not shown in theaters.
Director: Roar Uthaug
Actors: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, Gard B. Eidsvold, Anneke von der Lippe, Fridtjov Såheim, Dennis Storhøi, Karoline Viktoria Sletteng Garvang, Yusuf Toosh Ibra, Bjarne Hjelde, Ameli Olving Sælevik, Billy Campbell, Jon Ketil Johnsen, Duc Paul Mai-The, Ingrid Vollan, Trond Magnum
Genre: action, adventure
Production company: Motion Blur Films
Premiere: 1. desember 2022
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