Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Trolljegeren (Troll Hunter)
2010
***½
Director: André Øvredal
Cast: Otto Jespersen, Hans Morten Hansen, Tomas Alf Larsen, Johanna Mørck, Knut Nærum, Robert Stoltenberg, Glenn Erland Tosterud

André Øvredal's darkly comedic mockumentary begins with a text which explains that it was assembled from found footage. This does not bode well for the people who appear on screen, but there are some nice twists on the way to the grim conclusion. The film was shot by three university student who follow a suspected poacher. The man turns out to be a troll hunter who works for a hush-hush government agency, and he agrees to take the trio on one of his hunting trips. After The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, and numerous others, the found footage gimmick is getting pretty tiresome. What saves this Norwegian version is the dry, dark humour, the detailed and inventive troll mythology, and, if you will, the stunning scenery. The characters are foolhardy but not as stupid or annoying as in those other movies.