Saw Trollhunter, a Norwegian docu-comedy shot in the hand-held, Blare Witch style. We follow some film students who are trying to track down a man they believe to be a bear poacher but, as we quickly discover, is hunting much larger game. The film is not remotely scary, with the trolls themselves looking rubbery and CGI-generated. Also several of the actors are well-known Norwegian comedians, so this is a sort of straight-faced comedy. The best jokes come from the grizzled hunter confirming fairy tale trivia about Trolls (hey do indeed smell the blood of a Christian mun) and angrily denying others ("Do they live under bridges?" "No. That's just fairy tale stuff.") Also there's the great slow-burn of talking about trolls like they're any other big game, talking of bull and sow trolls, territorial markings, spoor. Good fun!
the film is essentially a big-game ride-along. Most of the time is spent getting to know the grizzled troll-hunter and world-building to explain why the trolls are such a close secret. It's played completely straight. Most of the film is spent in the wilds of Norway and Sweden, admiring the rugged beauty of the frozen mountains and fjords. Every so often they come face to face with a troll but not often. It's very high-concept, cerebral silliness. Interesting but a bit slow for me.
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