Editorials
Remember the David Lynch-esque ‘Alan Wake’ Prequel “Bright Falls”?
In 2010, Remedy Entertainment developed Alan Wake, a psychological action horror game for the Xbox 360 and, eventually, for PC. The game follows successful author Alan Wake who, in the midst of a serious bout of writer’s block, travels with his wife to the quaint and picturesque town of Bright Falls, a delightful hamlet with charming residents and gorgeous scenery. Upon arriving, Wake and his wife, Alice, fall victim to a surreal darkness that steals Alice away and robs Wake of one week, a time during which he seemingly wrote a manuscript that portends future events, most of which are life-threatening to anyone involved.
The game was, in my opinion, a masterpiece of brilliant design and wonderful writing, creating a world that was engrossing and engaging while at the same time making something so fascinating that I couldn’t stop playing it. In fact, I think I’ve went back and revisited the game at least five or six times, relishing every moment with each playthrough.
A marketing ploy that was utilized before the release of Alan Wake was a series of short episodic films under the title Bright Falls, named after the aforementioned town. These six short episodes told the story of journalist Jake Fischer who travels to the town of Bright Falls to interview Dr. Emil Hartman, a psychiatrist who owns the Cauldron Lake Lodge, about his new book.
I bring Bright Falls up because I just rewatched all the episodes and I was struck by how well the shorts captured the feel that players would later feel when playing the game. Directed by Phillip Van, the show is beautifully shot, creating a world that feels mysterious and real. And while Twin Peaks, which was obviously an inspiration, may have been a charming town, seeming like a place that one might actually want to visit, Bright Falls is the opposite. It’s imposing, eerie, and unsettling.
The characters are just as intriguing as the town. The writers give just enough hints as to relationships to make things interesting but leave the details out, allowing us crave more or, perhaps even better, create our own backstories, as many of these characters are not a part of the game.
Each episode unfolds offering new mysteries while answering previous ones. However, if you think that by watching all six episodes that you’re going to know everything, you’re sorely mistaken. There are clues that are meant to be followed, threads meant to be unravelled, and paths meant to be journeyed.
As I rewatched this series, I was struck by a feeling whereby I wished this were fully realized into an actual TV series or even potentially a movie. The Alan Wake universe would allow for some truly amazing opportunities to tell captivating and compelling storylines, either via Wake or the inhabitants of Bright Falls. Perhaps a TV series could be created that is almost like “Night Springs”, the Twilight Zone-esque show that players could watch on random televisions scattered throughout the game.
Alas, I realize that these are dreams that will always see me wake up saddened by reality, but I choose to cling to these hopes anyways.
No matter what, Remedy is still actively entertaining the concept of a full-fledged sequel to Alan Wake, so one can only hope that a return is seriously in the works. The two DLC titles and one stand-alone game aren’t bad, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I find them to be exciting additions that embraced the lack of reality to really expand Wake’s purgatory. But they were appetizers and I’ve been craving the main course for a long time now.
No matter what, I still strongly encourage you to set aside approximately 30-45 minutes and watch Bright Falls. All episodes are below.
Episode 1: “Oh Deer”
Episode 2: “Time Flies”
Episode 3: “Lights Out”
Episode 4: “Local Flavor”
Episode 5: “Off the Record”
Episode 6: “Clearcut”
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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