Short review: Troll Hunter

Director: André Øvredal
(2011)

Troll Hunter is yet another found footage film, right down to the ‘this is real!’ opening title. A film crew follows a man through Norway believing he’s behind the recent bear killings. Turns out, he’s hunting trolls. From here Troll hunter wants to be a cross between the Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, but doesn’t quite succeed. This failure can be attributed to a lack of excitement in its troll related scenes. These scenes lack both tension and entertainment; the vigorous camera shake and choppy editing don’t help proceedings. Things are worsened by showing too much of the trolls. Instead of glimpses here and there, the first encounter is an outright reveal, killing any mystery behind these intriguing beasts.

When it comes down to it, troll hunter is a shallow affair. Lovers of found footage films should check it out, but there are far better alternatives. 

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