The Troll Hunter [2010]

Imagine if you will, that the pseudo-documentary horror-thriller sub-genre was having a party.

‘Cannibal Holocaust’ owns the club they’re in — It’s friendly with most of them, on a first name basis with others and godfather to a couple of the others children. ‘Hexan’, Holocaust’s grandfather, has a seat of honour and respect that others occasionally break off to pay homage to. Emmanuelle in America rarely leaves the owners side.

Around the place you can see; ‘Man Bites Dog’ with ‘The Poughkeepsie Tapes’ ‘quietly lording it over ‘Paranormal Activity’ as the ‘Recs’ chat to their American family. ‘The Blair Witch Project’ is there fawning over the owner and if you look carefully you can see ‘Henry’, ‘Diary of the Dead’, ‘Lake Mungo’, ‘The Last Broadcast’ and others.

Friends from other genre mockumentaries are there; ‘The Last Polka’ and ‘Best In Show’.

Suddenly there is a rousing of activity from the door and a kerfuffle at the bar as ‘American Zombie’ and ‘Fear of a Black Hat’ try and persuade an emotional ‘Cloverfield’ to stay. It’s doing that drama queen thing of getting it’s coat on, pushing peoples arms away. Which is rather like the experience of watching it.

This is because ‘The Troll Hunter’ is arriving.

This is because — ‘The Troll Hunter’ shits all over ‘Cloverfield’.

Even to mention them in the same sentence is to do ‘The Troll Hunter’ a disservice.

Indeed, of modern monster movies, barring the indomitable ‘The Mist’ — ‘The Troll Hunter’ is Godzilla to their Tokyo.

Here

Just Watch

I watched this turn three grown cynical men into whooping clapping ten year olds.

Everyone I have shown it to has loved it. It is one of the best movies in its genres in years.

I cannot wait to see what these people do next.

Buy it, pay to see it, support them so they may get more money to do whatever the hell they want.

But most of all, suspend your scepticism, give it a chance and see it, enjoy it — they don’t often make movies like this.

Originally published at 23/04/2010