Troll Hunter

Writer-director André Øvredal's Norwegian horror comedy makes clever use of Scandinavian mythology to fashion a droll mockumentary about a team of college filmmakers—Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen), and Johanna (Johanna Mørck)—who while investigating the subject of poaching happen upon scruffy government agent Hans (Otto Jespersen), whose job is to kill trolls that have escaped from their mountain caves and threaten populated areas. Since the creatures don't officially exist, of course, Hans' mission is top secret; but because he's tired of the grind and angry about poor working conditions, he allows the crew to film him on his rounds, along the way revealing everything there is to know about the troll lifestyle and the longstanding cover-up. Serving up humor that is deadpan rather than slapstick (the beasts can sniff out Christians, for instance, so the tracker entices one with a tape of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”), the film also sports some genuinely suspenseful sequences, as well as decent special-effects work. Blending '50s-era storytelling with Blair Witch–style hyper-realism and a tongue-in-cheek approach, Troll Hunter is both imaginative and refreshing. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes (24 min.), extended scenes (8 min.), visual effects featurettes (6 min.), two photo montages (6 min.), an “HDNet” behind-the-scenes segment (5 min.), deleted scenes (4 min.), improv and blooper bits (2 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an excellent horror doc spoof.] (F. Swietek)