Starring: Martin Starr and Amrita Acharia, Townes Bunner, Zoe Winther-Hansen, Jeppe Beck Laursen, Kiran Shah, Henrietta Steenstrup
Runtime: 100 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2023
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
| 
| 
An American family fulfills their dream of moving back after inheriting a remote cabin in the mountains of Norway.
In fact, there is, rather, someone in the barn. And, as the story progresses many more someones in the barn – and breaking out. This Norwegian film is, perhaps, best described as comedy-horror, the kind of film that is light entertainment in the programming of a horror festival. Much of it is played for laughs, but there are increasing horror confrontations (and, rather shamelessly, this reviewer got the biggest laugh by the sudden appearance of a semitrailer with disastrous results).
With its beautiful winter snowy scenery, Norway looks attractive for a touristic visit. But, with mayhem in the barn, overflowing into the house and out into the snow, prospective tourists might hesitate despite the fine display at the end of the beauty of the aurora borealis.
We have a warning right at the prologue with a disaster in the barn and the owner going up in flames, and, causing shocks and observing a Norwegian gnome, garden decorative variety but with grizzled ancient face, sounding dialect, named throughout the film a “barn-elf”.
And, breezily into this Norwegian December countryside comes an American family, who have inherited the house and the barn, intending to turn it into a hotel. Dad is ultra-breezy American, ultra-ingenuous as it turns out, a widower who has married a young happiness coach. Two children, a 16-year-old girl who wishes to be anywhere but here and, as it turns out, a sensible young son.
They drive into town, loudly greeting everyone, somewhat ignored because, as explained, Norwegians have a tough exterior but, when it melts, they have heart. (And alcohol is a great melter of the exterior.) The serious son is intrigued by a museum for barn elves and gets a lot of information from the proprietor. Three rules to keep in mind: they dislike big lights, they dislike change, they dislike noise. Of course, this will cause mayhem – but also may help in defence when the mayhem takes over.
But, the young boy makes friends with the main barn-elf who, when on-side, clears paths through the snow, chops and stacks wood… Though he has his angry moments, he will turn out to be a saviour, finally finding refuge in a cottage at the town’s museum. And, there is a friendly middle-aged woman cop, no gun, Norwegian-cheerful, interrupted by events on Christmas Eve from her cooking dinner and watching Love, Actually!
And, throughout the screenplay, there are lots of comic shots at American attitudes, especially when the father is desperate for a gun and that is not the Norwegian way, quips about Americans, guns, shooting people in the face. But, there are some quips about Norwegian peace, the reputation for negotiations and peace deals, especially Oslo, though not always successful.
Which means then that this is a kind of horror film with an almost PG rating. Horror fans may get impatient with the humour. But, audiences wanting something different, accepting something slight, the premise and some of the execution (a word used advisedly for what happens to so many of the barn-elves), might enjoy the 100 minutes.
Kismet
12 Random Films…
