Troll Hunter has become a favorite “go to” movie when I want to escape and enjoy a fun film. I’ve watched it multiple times over the past year with my youngest son, and I just never get tired of it.
Troll Hunter is a found footage movie, directed by André Øvredal, that follows a group of students investigating a series of mysterious bear killings. The investigators soon learn that there are much more dangerous things out there besides bears.
The kids come across a grizzled, old man named Hans, played brilliantly by Otto Jespersen, and discover that he is a troll hunter employed by the government. Fed up with his secretive work, he allows them to document what he does.
Much of the movie is a travelogue of beautiful Norway, with long stretches of car rides and treks through the woods followed by “Blair Witch” like encounters with trolls.
The minimal cast is extremely likable and director Andre Overdal manages to make their limited screen time interesting enough that you feel you start to know them.
Otto Jespersen’s character Hans steals the show though. He’s given the bulk of screen time and chews the scenery with ease. He seems like a real person who has led a hard life, making tough choices. You feel for him. He also has a great sense of delivery for some of the dry humor throughout the film.
Another part of the magic of Troll Hunter is how it takes something real and ordinary, like power lines or downed trees, and turns those things into part of the world building. It’s a brilliant move for budgetary reasons and for creating realistic and grounded lore.
The troll special FX are also great too, especially considering this was made back in 2010. The creatures are just stylized enough to be both charming and terrifying. The reveal for the creatures if part of the fun so I didn’t want to spoil all of that in this post.
I think Troll Hunter is a real blast! Give it a shot with an open mind and enjoy the ride.
You can find Troll Hunter streaming on Amazon Prime.
Cinematic Point Of View 
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