I feel that I am definitely part of a majority in saying that as a teenager, one of my favourite film genres was the horror slasher. And it's probably no surprise to anyone to say that I grew out of it. I don't know exactly when it was that my opinion changed. But as it stands, horror films are now only surpassed on my hate-list by the nauseating and ever-worsening RomCom. So why the change?
I have mentioned before my vehement dislike of all things sequel and franchise related for the most part (there are exceptions). This crutch of the mainstream film industry flourishes in the horror genre, perhaps more than any other (Halloween 1 to 7,860 for example), even more so now with the discovery of Hollywood's latest obsession: 3D. What is on offer now seems to be countless 70s/80s/90s horror film franchises rising from the dead (pun intended), and bringing out a new installment or a remake, in "ground-breaking" Hollywood 3D. Halloween I've mentioned, along with Scream and the other classic slashers, coming back with worthwhile to add to franchises long dead. Even in a genre famous for bringing dead things back to life, "sometimes dead is better".
To focus on specifics for a second, the use of the word "horror" is a pet peeve of mine, since modern horror films rarely fit the definition of this word in being frightening in the slightest. In all honesty, they don't even try. I'm pretty sure the scariest part of Scream 4 will be watching Courtney Cox try to move her face. The term slasher is generally much more applicable.
When the genre itself is little different to the satire which spawns from it, there is clearly something off point. Scary Movie from example, is a "piss-take" as it were, of these films, but the dumb American girls in skimpy outfits being killed in showers or swimming pools, the telephone calls by faux-threatening voices, the chases and the comic screaming, the blatant stupidity, are present in both; the originals, and the satires. So what constitutes a horror film any more? They seem to be, for the most part, comedies with fake blood and a spooky soundtrack.
Despite my general avoidance of this genre nowadays, occasionally I do stumble across films which remind me what it was that I liked about them in the first place. The opinion of horror mocumentaries seems to be greatly polarised, but I have always been quite a fan of them. Granted, I was only about 12 years old when I saw The Blair Witch Project for the first time, but I loved it then, and I still appreciate it now. It was the first film that I genuinely considered frightening: So far removed from the over production and absurdity of Hollywood blockbusters. And any film that can actually fool Americans into believing it really did happen deserves some level of respect.
As happens with practically everything, this gimmick spawned many more films of the same mould, and it's hard to deny that it has been a little overdone in recent years. Paranormal Activity has got to be the apex of atrocious horror mocumentaries (and yet predictably, they are making sequel after sequel). They are growing in popularity, but at the same time, the originality is declining (Paranormal Activity just felt like a rehashed version of The St. Francisville Experiment), and they are becoming increasingly indistinguishable.
Troljegeren (Troll Hunter) is Norway's take on this growing obsession with horror film mocumentaries, and it avoids the trap of banality that so many American takes fell into. It employs Nordic folklore to intense advantages, perhaps most importantly because it doesn't take itself, or the legends, too seriously. And above all else, it injects a burst of originality into a sub-genre very much in need of it.
The film follows a group of young documentary makers who take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of a number of mysterious bear-killings by following one "Troll Hunter", Hans. Despite his insistence that they leave him alone, they follow him into a forest in the middle of the night and stand around chatting and laughing, until some distant rumbling, flashes of light, and shaking of the earth, followed by Hans reappearing and screaming "TROLL!" quickly transports us into a chase through the woods, thus beginning the film's intensity in earnest.
Despite at first being opposed to their filming, Hans gives in to their pursuit, and eventually explains what he is doing (but not before a full sized Troll is introduced to us). Now I am completely unaware of such matters, but according to numerous film websites Troll Hunter is very concordant with traditional Norwegian Troll myths, and a whole display of weird and abstract theories are presented to us, such as the Trolls being able to smell the blood of a Christian, which I found extremely amusing. Hans also informs the film makers of the various "breeds" of Troll, and the film certainly doesn't hold anything back in displaying them all.
Troll Hunter is unceasing in its silliness and bizarre humour, and thus avoids the pretension that is the downfall of so many mocumentaries. It doesn't try too hard, or take itself seriously, and has major what-the-fuck factor. All this things combined mean that it is incredibly entertaining. But behind this guise, the film still manages to be relevant and important: Hans eventually informs the film-makers that he is employed by the government to kill, and cover up, the existence of the Trolls, and various other government employees enter the narrative with much less friendly attitudes. The theory of governmental cover-ups is one that I find particularly applicable given the rising popularity in conspiracy theories and governmental deceit.
As with all these films based around the idea of found-footage, Troll Hunter ends ambiguously, with the film-makers being chased by the government employees and the camera falling to the ground. And it leaves you agreeably entertained, as well as raising some questions about modern society. Simply, it is what a horror film should be.
It seems then, that Norway is quickly replacing America as the leader in modern horror. On par with Let The Right One In, this is the second case in the argument that Norwegian horror outstrips American slashers by a long way, not only in terms of plot, but in production, cinematography, and the characters themselves. In essence, Norway puts America to shame for a second time, and now I decisively endeavour to watch Rare Exports and make it three.
