Troll (2022) Netflix Movie Review: If you look at the filmography of Guillermo del Toro, you will find fantasy horror films filled with rich subtexts. While he presents his narrative in a cinematic manner, he is keen to include an element relevant to our world. The new Norwegian monster movie – ‘Troll,’ directed by Roar Uthaug, presents a similar blend with its gripping narration. Streaming on Netflix creates an amusing mix of folklore and climate crisis that subverts the man vs. wild narrative. We encounter a giant creature enveloping the Nordic city and its surroundings and creating a survival crisis for human beings.
However, the film goes beyond being a run-for-survival film. We do not witness a film similar to an apocalyptic danger, where a monstrous creature is perceived as pure evil and nothing more. The script, co-written by Espen Aukan and the director, creates a strong background for the events that occur with this entity’s emergence. The elements of suspense, the reveal, and the battle for survival are present in ample promotion to keep you hooked to the screen. Besides that, the film traverses in different trajectories that create an intriguing portrait of this creature besides everyone else involved in the battle.
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A natural habitat filled with flourishing flora and fauna is decided to be used for development purposes. As a result, the area is being bombed to create the necessary space. Several locals are against this encroachment and protest against it in the surroundings. The assigned engineers go along with their mission despite their vocal protest, and their voices to leave nature undisturbed go unheard. With the resulting destruction emerges something that creates terror in those around it. It becomes a cause of national security, and an archaeologist is brought on board to navigate a way around.
In a panel filled with security personnel and Norway’s prime minister, Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilmann) enters with bewilderment. Having grown up on the folklore tales of her father – Tobias (Gard B. Eidsvold), she was once open to exploring things out of sheer fantasy. Over the years of growing distant from him, she grows up cynical of such fictitious routes of finding truth and relies more on science. This calamity, however, presents a peculiar phenomenon that reminds her of the folk tales that her father used to tell. However, unlike her, who is a thriving archaeologist, he is not doing well. He is considered a lunatic for presenting arguments based on fantasy narratives.
Giant footprints bring her back to the old man in her pursuit of finding the truth behind the destruction. During their exploration, they encounter a huge creature that wakes up from the mountains and makes them run for their life. Tobias insists on it being a mythical creature named Troll, while Nora resists him from making that argument. Over the course of their journey, she pivots from a state of disbelief to belief along with the prime minister’s secretory – Andreas (Kim Falck). They are accompanied by Captain Kristoffer Holm (Mads Sjøgård Pettersen), who goes against his superiors to assist in their pursuit.
We witness the narrative of good-willed citizens pitted against authority figures that use the forces in their hands to battle the unknown. Nora, Andreas, and Kristoffer become the humanist depictions of entities that choose this path out of earnest intentions. As a result, despite being a survival thriller, at its core, Troll becomes a kinder and more open way to tackle the unknown. The reason for awakening alludes to a rise against evil industrialization that implements ruthlessness over personal greed. Human survival is considered more integral than any other kind, and the film battles the same notion with its neatly put allegories.
Besides the imaginative script, what makes Troll (2022) an exciting experience is the cinematography by Jallo Faber and his team and the absorbing music score by Johannes Ringen. While the cinematic experience does not make it unforgettable, it enriches the film. Ine Marie Wilmann presents an affecting portrait of Nora, filled with strong determination, and Kim Falck supports it with a puzzled yet strong-willed portrayal of Andreas. While the critique presented through the film is not groundbreaking, it sets the film apart from other survival dramas.
