THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE BARN

Norway, 2023, 100 minutes, Colour.

Martin Starr, and Amrita Acharia 26, Townes Bunner, Zoe Winther-Hansen, Jeppe Beck Laursen, Kiran Shah, Henrietta Steenstrup

Directed by Magnus Martens.

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 very attractive for a touristic visit. But, with mayhem in the barn, overflowing into the house and out into the snow, prospective tourists might have hesitation despite the fine display at the end of the beauty of the aurora borealis.

We have a warning right at the prologue, disaster in the barn, 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 the taken 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 would… 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 hundred minutes.

1. Comedy? Exuberance? Americans abroad in Norway? Horror? The barn, the elves, the rules, destruction? The combination?
2. A Norwegian story? An American story? The location photography, winter, snow landscapes, the mountains, the house and interiors, the barn and interiors, the town, the diner, the elf Museum? The countryside, the highways? Authentic feel?
3. The prologue, the farmer, deciding to destroy the barn, the mysterious presence, the fire and his death? Leaving the house and barn to his nephew?
4. The ultra-exuberant American family, cheerful, loud? Bill, widower, his children, the encounter with Carol, Happiness Training, her enthusiasm, her techniques? Nora, 16, sulky, not wanting to be there, phoning friends? Lucas, his age, quieter, common sense? The ambition of turning the barn into a hotel? Settling into the house, going to the town, loud, meeting Ronnie, Lucas and the proprietor of the elf Museum, learning the rules?
5. Lucas, in the barn, the mysterious sounds, meeting the elf, offering the biscuit, the appearance of the elf, age, grizzled face, Norwegian mumblings, hand on heart, the elf clearing the snow path, stacking the wood the Bill? But the rules of no Bright lights, no change, no loud noises? And porridge with cinnamon and butter as a peace offering a Christmas?
6. The decision to socialise, invitations to the party, handing them out in the town, the preparations? Everybody arriving, Norwegian frosty exterior, alcohol met melting the exterior, the warm hearts?
7. Bill, the cookbook, the fish, no be able to eat it? Lucas and his preparing the porridge gift? Bill eating at all? The beginning of disaster? Lucas giving the elf the fish, failure?
8. The party, the Santa Claus decorations, Ron coming as Santa Claus, loud? The lights? The attack by the elves? The visit of the sheriff, her being cheery, no gun, watching Love, Actually? And the shock of the crash and her death?
9. The emergence of the elves, the large number, the attack, the family under siege, the fights, Carol and her techniques, Bill and his dithering, Nora and her fighting, Lucas trying to make peace? The comedy of destruction? The Moose (and the initial photo &)? Bill and Lucas, the sled, the pursuit, the semitrailer ploughing into the elves?
10. Ingenuity, reconciliation between Carolyn Nora, working together? Captured?
11. Going to town, the museum proprietor, delaying and leaving, the discovery of the underground tunnels, the release of Carol and Nora? The pursuit?
12. The friendly elf, loyal to Lucas, hand on heart, helping, the explosives, the fire, destruction?
13. The proprietor, his philosophy of peacekeeping, Norwegians as peacekeepers, his offering a home to the good elf?
14. The combination of horror and comedy?