THE TROLLHUNTER

(15) 103mins

Director: André Øvredal

Starring: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Johanna Mørck, Tomas Alf Larsen

HAVING been unsettled by a Spanish horror movie and underwhelmed and confused by a British horror film in the last two weeks a Norwegian comic thriller has come to the rescue.

The Trollhunter is a delight, combining some laugh out loud moments with real horror and tension.

At the start, with obvious tongue in cheek, there’s a message saying the film has been put together using some mysterious footage that has been found.

From then on it’s all hand-held footage taken by a group of students creating a project for their college.

They are following a story of a man killing bears looking for someone who has been illegally killing bears in the woods and hills but quickly discover the truth.

The man in question is on the trail of trolls.

From then on we meet a variety of these strange creatures until the amazing climax in the snowy hills.

The trolls themselves are rather good, though some look a bit like demented Muppets, but all of them have a convincing roar, best heard in the big-screen environment.

Jespersen as the troll hunter is superb, dead-pan as he sets off with his oversized flashbulb to kill the woodland or mountain creatures, world-weary after years of night-time work.

The three main students are also excellent and the Norwegian scenery also plays a full part, with lush woodland and snow-covered mountains.

So, for 103 minutes of top-rate movie-making, check this out.

five out of five stars

Steve Payne

Screening courtesy Cineworld Crawley