The qualifier in the headline is the word “great,” and that’s subjective not only when it comes to movies, but also when it comes to trolls. What some people might consider great others might consider poor, and vice versa. For instance is the animated movie Trolls (based on the toys) a worthy entry here? Not for the purposes of this list, but that doesn’t make it a bad movie — the second one is the better anyway.
For this list, we are going for scary trolls, the monstrous kind (although one movie on this list breaks that rule). Netflix is dropping a movie sometime this year called Troll and we thought it would be fun to revisit other movies where these dreadful creatures are featured.
The Dumb and Even More Dumb One
Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)
The late (great) Jim Varney was big in the 80s and 90s. He joined a class of movie comedians who made movies based on their quirky characters. Take, for instance, Pee-Wee Herman or Jim Carrey. Both of those guys created iconic personalities that, although idiotic, made millions at the box office.
Ernest P. Worrell was Varney’s avatar. This bumbling “country bumpkin” lived in a world where his fellow humans had infinitely more commonsense and even more coordination. But audiences loved him. The first movie to feature Ernest was Dr.Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam. From there, the sequels just kept coming. Ernest Scared Stupid was the fourth of those and still holds up as a worthy, if not cringey, annual Halloween rental.
A troll plays a prominent part in this story.
Because of a curse on the Worrell family, Ernest accidentally releases an evil troll from a tree the night before Halloween. This turns out to be an all-out war on the town’s children as the released troll turns them into wooden dolls. It’s up to Ernest to save Halloween. The amount of practical effects that went into this movie is enough to give it a watch. But if the thought of a fumbling adult idiot is your kryptonite, perhaps save this one for a night when you eat some of your special secret gummy bears: knowhutimean?
The Found Footage One
Troll Hunter (2010)
In the decade since this Norweigan film was released, it has become a certified cult favorite. It was released at a time when found footage movies were in vogue and perhaps outdid them all. Shot as a documentary, the camera work, and special effects blend seamlessly into the narrative.
This dark fantasy combines the Hollywood blockbuster with Norwegian social elements. It was critically hailed both in America and its country of origin. If you haven’t seen this one yet, add it to your list of things to watch on a boring day.
The Original One
Troll (1986)
As with Ernest Scared Stupid, Troll (1986) is a low-budget gem that gets lots of love from genre fans. It also holds the title as the first movie with a character named Harry Potter (there’s a Wizarding World fan conspiracy theory here somewhere just waiting to be exposed).
Troll came out at a time when low-budget creature features shared a marquee with their higher-budgeted sisters and still managed to make a profit. Films such as Ghoulies, Leprechaun, and Hobgoblin weren’t great but managed to get butts in seats despite bad reviews. It was also the era of the Charles Band empire. And by empire, I mean his Empire Pictures, a small production house that ruled the small-scale theaters of the ’80s.
This movie had an excellent cast for the times. From Shelley Hack (Charlie’s Angels: TV series), to Michael Moriarity to Sonny Bono, Troll was a leader in the “spaghetti” dark fantasy pictures of the 80s.
It’s not going to change your life, but it’s a good time and historical archive of late-century filmmaking before the attack of CGI. Plus it has Phil Fondacaro (Willow) playing the titular monster. This film has a sequel in title only. Troll 2 has nothing to do with the original.
The Big-Budget One
The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey (2012)
Unlike the low-budget niche titles above, The Hobbit is leaps and bounds ahead of all of their budgets combined. But it is noteworthy because of that one campfire scene. Both in J.R.R. Tolkien’s book and in the film adaptation, Bilbo and company come across three trolls enjoying a fireside meal who, as Biblo says in the book, are not speaking in “drawing-room fashion” at all.
In the film, Bilbo is grabbed by one of them and nearly skinned and boned for stew. Although The Hobbit The Unexpected Journey wasn’t as well-received as its predecessors, it’s definitely worth a watch for the completionists out there.
The Underrated One
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
Probably the most underrated big-budget film on this list is Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Even though it’s a twisted take on the Grimm classic, it’s fun, filled with wonderful special effects and its stars have great chemistry. There is also a great troll rampage action sequence!
This one didn’t get the love it deserved upon its release, but that doesn’t matter. The great thing about living in the technological age is that we can watch or re-watch things at any time.
The Weirdly Romantic One
Border (2018)
Here’s a quirky little film that may break our “scary troll” rule. It’s actually a romantic-comedy-ish title. Here’s a spoiler; the main character is actually a real troll living in modern life as a Swedish Customs Service agent.
Upon its North American release, Variety called it, “an exciting, intelligent mix of romance, Nordic noir, social realism, and supernatural horror that defies and subverts genre conventions.”
If you’re in the mood for something different with less action and more social commentary, give this gem a look.
The New One
Troll (2022) Netflix
Although this movie doesn’t have a confirmed release date, it’s got some people excited. Many are comparing it to Trollhunter, but based on the trailer, it seems to be slightly different. First, it’s not done in mockumentary style and it appears to also be a disaster film.
That makes sense since the man behind it, Roar Uthaug is the director of 2018’s Tomb Raider and the hit Norwegian 2015 disaster film The Wave.
The trailer definitley has us intrigued and we’ll be adding it to our Netflix queque once it drops this year.
Well, there you have it. Seven movies featuriing trolls that you might enjoy. Let us know if we missed any, and as always, check back to iHorror for more interesting listicles.
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