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Parents' Guide to

Troll

By Jennifer Green, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Giant troll reaps violence on Norway; language, legends.

Movie NR 2022 103 minutes
Troll Movie Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Troll Movie: Scene #1
  • Troll Movie: Scene #2
  • Troll Movie: Scene #3
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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

cookie99
cookie99 Parent of 9 and 11-year-old
June 3, 2023
age 9+

Great but clean movie

OMG LOVEEEEEEDDDDDD ITTT. I cried so many times, no gore or violence, and best watched in the original, Norwegian with English subtitles.
Randolphus C.
Randolphus C. Parent of 11-year-old
March 13, 2023
age 17+

Trolls rise to rid Norway of Christians and brave scientists get in their way.

King Kong meets Norway in this exciting monster movie. The director mashes together the best scenes from your favorite films and throws in a good dose of anti-Christian hate on top of it. It's been a while since I've seen a film slaughter a nameless character because of their faith. In Troll 2022 the protagonist, a scientist, is told they have little to fear from the troll if they aren't Christian. You just have to avoid being under foot. We later see a character praying the Rosary in fear for their life and our protagonist and friends abandon the man to be slaughtered by the troll. My child's response to the night battle? She asked why the SCIENTIST hated Christians. She wanted to know why the protagonist would so easily abandon someone to be eaten by the troll, to just creep away from the praying man like she was a coward. She couldn't understand why the story just dumps on Christians. The film never returns to the subject in such an on-the-nose manner. After the scientist lets the troll slaughter the man there is a race through the streets of Oslo. The scientist carries the crushed skull of a baby troll in the back of a Chevy as a lure. The troll only stops the rampage when the skull falls out of the truck and is completely obliterated. My child's question here had something to do with using an infant's remains as bait. I did not need to explain why the troll expressed sadness when the skull fell out of the truck and broke completely. My daughter was in tears. The monster hated Christians like my daughter but at least it might have been a good parent. I liked the cinema verité style of 2012's Trollhunter. It's a better film, high in action and gross-out gags. It too embeds an implicit anti-Christian message. But while "being Christian" angers the trolls in both films, the protagonists in the 2012 film are baffled by the troll's antagonistic behavior towards one of them because they only went to church as children. They deny being Christian today. The troll is wrongfully targeting them. Of course they don't believe that Christian stuff now. But something about them is different than the others. Neither film attempts to explore what that something is.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilmann) grew up in the countryside hearing legends from her father Tobias (Gard B. Eidsvold) about the trolls who were turned to stone by sunshine in TROLL. Her dad went on to become so obsessed with the story of the demise of the trolls in Norway that he was eventually sent to a mental institution. Nora grew up to become a respected archaeologist. When a giant creature emerges out of a mountain, the government calls Nora in to consult. Slowly she realizes the creature may well be a troll, and she pulls her father in for help. She forges a fast bond with the Prime Minister's right-hand man Andreas (Kim Falck) and a soldier known as Captain Kris (Mads Sjogard Pettersen). She'll need their support as she comes up with increasingly creative ideas to counter the troll, who is forging a destructive path straight toward the capital city of Oslo.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This Hollywood-style Norwegian monster movie rips along at breakneck speed and features likable characters and a fairy tale-inspired plot. Troll is the King Kong of Scandinavia, a ginormous creature that comes alive out of the rocks and earth of the mountainside and can crush tiny humans in his fist and throw helicopters around like toys. The film throws in some themes about sins committed in the name of Christianizing Norway and nature "pushing back" on human encroachments. But don't go looking for serious commentary in this movie (not that you would in a film called Troll).

Characters are mostly archetypes -- the crazy believer, the savior scientist, the macho military man, the good folks who stand up to authority, etc. -- but you care about them. Wilmann is particularly strong at the film's center, infusing her character with pathos -- never overacting, she contributes to making the tale somehow believable. It's refreshing to see women in the lead roles, right up to the country's Prime Minister, and wielding the most power. Some pieces of the storytelling feel especially formulaic yet add nothing to the film as a whole, like forgettable Bourne-style datelines to set up locations and a rousing victory speech by a rogue captain towards the end. Troll is surprisingly fun, and that's enough.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the tales behind the legendary creature of Troll. What information did you gather about the Norwegian fairy tales and history behind trolls? Where could you find more details?

  • How did you feel about the special effects in this film? Did the troll look realistic? Did it remind you of any other on-screen creatures?

  • What happened to Tobias that made him feel so threatened when his daughter appeared at his house with strangers? Why was Tobias treated the way he was?

  • Nora isn't afraid to speak her mind, even in a meeting with top military and political leaders. Why do you think she has this confidence and/or lack of fear (or respect) for authorities? Is this shown to be a good thing or not? Why?

  • If Norwegian isn't your native language, how does watching a film with subtitles or dubbed affect your experience? Which do you prefer, and why?

Movie Details

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