Editorials
Why You Should Chew On ‘Ravenous’ (1999)
Everybody has at least one favorite movie that they feel has been unjustly ignored by film buffs and consumers of popular culture alike. Sometimes, audiences and critics just weren’t ready for a film’s take on certain themes and emotions, or maybe the filmmakers just had the rotten luck of dealing with fickle distributors and unfair release dates, ending up with a product that no one watched. Whatever the case, it’s unfortunate that so many great films are forgotten without ever having had the chance to shine for general audiences. To me, Antonia Bird’s darkly comedic Ravenous is one of these poor movies, which was neglected despite being one of the best cannibal thrillers of all time!
Ravenous stars Guy Pearce in one of his best roles as Second Lieutenant Boyd, a cowardly soldier of the Mexican-American war who’s exiled to a remote northern outpost. As he begins mingling with the strange garrison holed up in the desolate settlement, Boyd and the others learn of an ill-fated caravan that became trapped in the wilderness and turned to cannibalism in order to survive. As the group sets off to search for survivors, they become involved in a supernatural pursuit featuring the Native American legend of the Wendigo and an extremely suspicious Colonel Ives, played to menacing perfection by Robert Carlyle. To spoil any more of this bloodthirsty plot would be a disservice to potential viewers, so suffice to say that things turn ugly fast.
Inspired by the literary works of Dashiell Hammett, Algernon Blackwood and the real life tragedy of the Donner party, Ravenous’ story is a deeply satirical commentary on the limits of human civility and the concept of manifest destiny. Ted Griffin (now known for his work on Ocean’s Eleven) was responsible for this peculiar script, though the final product is apparently immensely different from his original vision. The script sometimes devolves into a mess of tangled plot threads, but it still ultimately works. This chaos is mostly due to some behind-the-scenes drama that almost accidentally gifted us with such an original movie.
Though it was released in 1999, Ravenous had an extremely troubled production that only settled down shortly before the film hit theaters, making it a miracle that such an underrated classic (let alone a coherent film) exists at all. The original plan was to have the project be lead by Macedonian filmmaker Milcho Manchevski, with a promising original script penned by Griffin . However, Manchevski left the production three weeks into shooting, after dealing with constant rewrites, scheduling disputes and studio interference. Eventually, Robert Carlyle recommended that his close friend and collaborator Antonia Bird take up production of the film, and she led the team to a new, darkly humorous vision that takes more inspiration from Looney Tunes than conventional period pieces and horror movies. This ushered the way to a mesmerizing movie that may not be entirely consistent, but is always compelling.
How can you say no to this face?
Hell, even the film’s profoundly bizarre and memorable soundtrack was subject to controversy, as composers Damon Albarn (yes, the co-founder of the popular animated band Gorillaz) and Michael Nyman were forced to compete for credit due to increasingly confusing production demands. Nevertheless, this unintended collaboration resulted in a phenomenal selection of music, and possibly one of the best movie soundtracks of all time. Nyman and Albarn juxtapose silly banjo compositions with epic instrumentals as the tracks attempt to keep up with (and enhance) the film’s wildly fluctuating tone, greatly contributing to the experience. I still frequently listen to these versatile tracks, especially as background music for writing, and have even used to them to set the mood for tabletop RPGs! It’s just that good.
Music isn’t the only impressive part of Ravenous, as Bird’s deliberate pacing and camera placement take a decidedly offbeat approach to what could otherwise have been a straightforward slasher movie. This weird balance of campy action and genuine tension are what make Ravenous such a unique experience, though it’s also what made the film so off-putting for viewers back in 1999, as the movie was both a critical and commercial failure. Of course, over the years a few critics have claimed that this is one of the best undiscovered classics of the 90s, but not that many people have watched it since its original release.
Either way, the movie is still an exceptionally human and atmospheric take on the myth of the Wendigo, despite not featuring a traditional incarnation of the Native American monster onscreen. Though supernatural cannibalistic forces are definitely at work, the Wendigo here is more of a metaphor than a flesh and blood ghoul. That’s why, despite the humor, this snowy thriller still boasts some deeply disturbing themes and imagery, and would satisfy any horror hound looking for some substance with his visual meal.
Now, you can’t discuss Ravenous without bringing up the surprisingly solid performances from the entire cast, not just from Pearce and Carlyle (though the interaction between these two is certainly the heart of the film). Both David Arquette and the late John Spencer have notable roles in the film, and almost every minor character is at the very least interesting, which is a rare instance in horror movies in general. Despite its flaws, the script also does a great job at characterizing these unfortunate victims, as there’s more to the people than meets the eye.
If you can stomach this brutal yet witty tale of a primitive, dog-eat-dog America, you’ll be rewarded with a chilling yet entertaining gem that serves as proof that it’s more important for a story to be consistently interesting than traditionally “good”. It may be flawed, but all these qualities suggest that Ravenous contained a burst of creative lightning that likely won’t happen again, especially when you consider the muddled backstory behind the production. This is the kind of film that compels you to love it and its faults as well.
And that, my friends, is why you should watch Ravenous. Luckily for you, it’s streaming on Netflix right now, so what are you waiting for?
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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