Editorials
How To Start Getting Into Horror Part 10: Religious
Firstly, I would like to apologize for not having an entry in this How To Start Getting Into Horror series last week. Comic-Con was going on and I didn’t want this to get buried in the mass amount of information we were putting out, like trailers, galleries, announcements, etc… It was a very fast paced few days and this series is all about taking time and easing your way into the genre. With that being said, let’s do this!
Two weeks ago, I wrote about several psychological horror films that, in my mind, were great ways to dip one’s toes into that subgenre. These films didn’t use gore to shock but instead focused on the horror of human nature, of how easily we can be broken and the terrifying consequences that result from our minds shattering.
To that end, I want to dive into a subgenre I feel to be the best next step forward: Religious-based horror films.
Now, clearly to start things off here we should begin with The Exorcist. It’s the ultimate tried-and-true religious horror film and for very good reason. The subplot of faith and the struggle of keeping it is just as much of a battle as Regan has with the demon Pazuzu. What you end up with is a film that shows both the strengths and horrors of religion at the same time. After all, while religion may give you strength, it also creates the very terrors we hope to never encounter.
I’ll admit that The Exorcist never scared me. I think it’s a masterpiece and worthy of every accolade it has received but it never spoke to me on a deep level. I ascribe that to my being Jewish. The possession of Regan and the struggles that her mother and the priests go through simply didn’t speak to my upbringing and culture as it most certainly does to a Catholic. But I understand the fear and I laud this film for having the guts to do what it did. It’s an extremely important film and it should be the basis for diving into the religious horror subgenre.
Once you’re done with The Exorcist, you can stay with the classics and watch two phenomenal Anti-Christ films: Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby or Richard Donner’s The Omen. Both films are graceful, beautifully crafted, and utterly fascinating works. They move in different ways, the former being more of a slow burn while the latter gets pretty gruesome at times (also a way to lay the foundation for gore-based horror). Plus, these two films are highly regarded in the film community, which gives them a sense of importance.
However, if you want to start heading into newer territory, there’s always Frailty. An often overlooked gem, this film once again shows the strengths and utter terrors of religion. When one is so devout and committed to the glory of God, will they really do anything to prove their piousness? Plus, it’s got Bill Paxton, so game over, man!
One film that came about in recent years that absolutely terrified and stunned me was Ti West’s The Sacrament. It’d been a while since I’d seen a film that so effectively made me feel terror, unsettling me to the very core of my being. I simply couldn’t fathom that people would give themselves so entirely to one man, so much so that they are willing to die – and yes, kill – all in the name of his “good word”. The fact that it’s inspired by Jonestown makes it all the more horrific.
If you want to have a bit of fun with this subgenre, you can always go with films that aren’t nearly as lauded but are still a good time, such as Stigmata or The Ninth Gate, the latter of which has this very entertaining adventure-feel to it.
Alright readers, those are a few suggestions to get things started. Why not tell me some of your favorite religious-based horror films in the comments!
Check out the rest of our How To Start Getting Into Horror series.
In this day and age, the word “troll” is often used to describe various online nuisances. Yet as abundant and irksome as the modern troll can be, they aren’t usually as fearsome as their mythological counterparts. I’m not talking about the small and gentler versions that have become more common to see in media. No, there are much bigger and scarier trolls out there—and André Øvredal’s movie Troll Hunter is one of the best places to find them.
It doesn’t take long for Troll Hunter (or Trolljegeren) to dump the Blair Witch Project-esque setup and aim for something a lot fresher. The trajectory of the story is augmented by Otto Jespersen’s character Hans, the titular Troll Hunter. The second he comes barreling out of the deep, dark woods and shouts “troll” at the camera, this movie takes a turn into what feels like uncharted territory. Not only subject-wise, but also conceptually.
For fantastical and made-up subject matter in cinema, found footage is a fast way to add a guise of believability. After all, what we accept to be the most crucial aspect of documentaries—the truth—rubs off on pseudo-documentaries, despite our understanding of the pretense involved. That is what Øvredal delivered with Troll Hunter: a movie so convincing that some viewers wondered if trolls really do exist. So, had this been straightforwardly made, it likely wouldn’t have been as effective. Conventional narratives would be more inclined to treat something like trolls as flat out unreal, and never try to convince the audience to think otherwise.
Hans petrifies the three-headed Tusseladd troll.
The viewers, like the characters trailing Hans, are quickly thrown into the deeper end of that extraordinary story. They have to process all this new information while staying on the go. So, although there is no significant amount of meandering, narratively or physically, there is still a good amount of atmosphere, not to mention tension building. It’s never anything frightful, but then again, Troll Hunter isn’t your standard offering of horror; it’s more on the low end of the dark fantasy spectrum. We aren’t ever spirited away to a faraway world—we stay in rather familiar surroundings, as well as dip into those less so. The outcome is a movie where you’re constantly more in awe than in terror.
As fantasy fiction might do, Troll Hunter prefers not to deal with incredulity. There is no time to waste on doubt, as interviewer Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), soundperson Johanna (Johanna Mørck), and cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) all follow Hans around, recording whatever this character is willing to reveal about his bizarre job. Of course, the Troll Hunter himself is not an open book; in that respect, the diegetic documentary fails to fully capture and unpack the more interesting of its two subjects. Yes, all those giant, monstrous trolls are indeed incredible, but understandably, your mind wanders to their pursuer. What kind of person signs up for this gig and then chooses to stick with it for so long?
Reviews have called out Troll Hunter for its lack of character development. In regard to Thomas and his fellow documentarians, that criticism is valid, but bear in mind, they aren’t the focus of the story, either. Meanwhile, Hans is a well-crafted character. At least better than first realized. Before he was introduced, Hans had already grown tired of the troll grind. Fed up with that low compensation for his services, resentful of the bureaucracy, and wanting to expose his employer on a large scale, Hans’ discontent is glaring.
Then there are those finer details about the Troll Hunter, such as that indifference to both the natural splendor of his everyday surroundings and the affections of an obviously smitten colleague, that also suggest some level of despondency. So it is fair to say this movie doesn’t feature any sizable growth for its characters; however, the namesake isn’t underwritten. No doubt, putting a real-life character like Otto Jespersen in that role is partly why Hans is so fascinating—maybe even relatable.
Otto Jespersen as Hans the Troll Hunter.
There is always a small risk whenever using the term “mockumentary” to describe a found-footage movie, as the word could imply humor where there is none. In the case of Troll Hunter, the term’s usage is appropriate. Some folks have claimed the English-dubbed version has the more comedic tone, however, the Norwegian cut isn’t exactly humorless. Apart from the trolls’ absurd appearances, this is a movie where the characters nearly choke on the monsters’ farts, and Christians are like walking targets. Hans’ complete apathy towards everything is another cause of laughter. Overall, the comedy is intentionally dry and inconsistent. Unfunny, though? Absolutely not.
In a movie where endemic creatures are maltreated, as well as disavowed from living freely and peacefully, it’s hard not to notice the ecological message buried beneath the story. In addition to that is the unmistakable political satire. There is this whole business about intrusive and unsightly power lines—like trolls, they’re big blemishes on the land—that leads to what is perhaps the movie’s funniest moment. The scene in question is that one where certain electric lines, the ones secretly being used to keep the trolls at bay, go in a loop and don’t actually send power to any residents. Yet the monitors of said lines don’t find this at all weird. So it stands to reason that Øvredal was having a go at those who accept the government’s doings without question.
Looking past the fact that trolls aren’t actually real, this movie is an enlightening source of information. And not just for international audiences; Norwegians, too, get schooled about their homeland’s own mythology. It’s also evident from everything on screen that Øvredal and his crew were enthusiastic about the topic. The creature designs are the most indicative of that zeal; those imaginative yet myth-accurate manifestations are equally amusing and grotesque. One second you’re laughing at their phallic noses, the next you’re white-knuckling during a hairy sequence. Most surprisingly is how well the trolls’ visual effects hold up after fifteen years. It’s not all spotless, but on the whole, they remain impressive.
Vouching for a mockumentary about trolls isn’t easy, but those who do come around and give it a shot will more than likely be grateful for the recommendation. For Troll Hunter is a real find in that vast and varied genre we call “found footage“.
A bridge troll reaches up for food and finds Hans decked out in armor.
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