Starring: Silje Reinamo, Erlend Nervold, Jon Sigve Skard, Morten Andresen, Sunniva Lien
Running Time: 77 minutes
Certificate: 15
THALE is a Norwegian dark fantasy in the same vein as other adult fairytales. Elvis and Leo (Nervold and Skard), are two men hired to clean up corpses when during one routine cleaning they discover a sinister looking basement, wherein lives a young woman called Thale (Reinamo). If you haven’t guessed by now, Thale isn’t exactly a normal girl. Kidnapped from a government testing facility when she was younger, Thale is actually a mythical creature known as a huldra. With government agents looking for Thale and other, more feral, huldra out in the wild, Elvis and Leo may be in a spot of bother.
THALE feels like a charming dream for the majority of its short running time. In fact, the running time may be one of the reasons for the otherworldly feel. Everything happens quickly, and sometimes it feels too quick. A big chunk of story is delivered to us via a tape that is played, which fills in a lot of the blanks, but also lacks imagination. Despite the narrative choices, director Nordass most certainly has the confidence to entrust his shot compositions, filters, and cinematography will entrance the viewer without causing them to drift into sleep.
When focusing on the character of Thale herself, the film is brilliant. Reinamo does so much with very few words. She’s not stupid nor fragile, just withdrawn and nervous. She captures both the beauty and ferocity of a hundral. In contrast, the other hundrals stalk the wooded area outside. They are twisted, slight and decrepit creatures brought to life with very convincing CGI. They aren’t incredible, but Nordass keeps them at a distance as they hide behind tress. Each of their appearances sees them invade the shots, rather than having shots crafted around them.
The short running time means you get a compressed mini-masterpiece, but one you are never fully involved with. There isn’t time to feel for Thale, Leo or Elvis, or to even process the information you’re given. Just when you have one of those moments where the foundations for an emotional connection are laid down, the film jumps to another character or event. Fortunately it doesn’t kill the film, as there are a number of fascinating and memorable visual moments. THALE manages to lull you into a false sense of security, like a trusted guardian reading you a bedtime story before adding a scene in which Tinkerbell rips out Wendy’s throat. At 77 minutes, this is more than worth your time.
THALE is out to buy on DVD right now via Metrodome Distribution
Luke likes many things, films and penguins being among them. He's loved films since the age of 9, when STARGATE and BATMAN FOREVER changed the landscape of modern cinema as we know it. His love of film extends to all aspects of his life, with trips abroad being planned around film locations and only buying products featured in Will Smith movies. His favourite films include SEVEN SAMURAI, PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, IN BRUGES, LONE STAR, GODZILLA, and a thousand others.
Latest Posts
-
Film Festivals
/ 2 days agoFull line-up for the First Feature Competition at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
The festival takes place from the 8th until the 24th of November.
By Paul Heath -
Film Festivals
/ 3 days ago‘Anora’ review: Dir. Sean Baker [LFF 2024]
Ever since his iPhone-shot feature, Tangerine, director Sean Baker has garnered attention for creating...
By Kat Hughes -
Film Festivals
/ 3 days ago‘Frewaka’ review: Dir. Aislinn Clarke [LFF 2024]
Aislinn Clarke’s debut feature The Devil’s Doorway, was one of FrightFest 2018’s First Blood...
By Kat Hughes -
Film Festivals
/ 3 days ago‘Who’s Watching’ to open this years Soho Horror, full line-up revealed
Christmas is just around the corner, which means out favourite event of the year...
By Kat Hughes