‘There’s Something in the Barn’ movie review: Norwegian elves go on a Christmas killing spree

An American family trying to adjust to life in rural Scandinavia finds themselves at the mercy of some vengeful mythological creatures in There’s Something in the Barn, which releases this weekend in Prague cinemas. Despite being a Norwegian production, this festive horror-thriller from director Magnus Martens (SAS: Red Notice) is presented almost entirely in English.

There’s Something in the Barn features Martin Starr as Bill, an American expat who transplants his family from California to a rural village in Norway after inheriting an estate from a distant uncle following a mysterious death. The family plans to turn their new barn into a luxurious B&B, but it’s current resident, spotted early on by son Lucas (Townes Bunner), just might have some feelings about that.

What’s in the barn? Why, it’s none other than a fjøsnisse, translated as a Norwegian “barn elf” by local folklore museum owner Tor Åge (Calle Hellevang Larsen), but perhaps recognizable to most as something akin to a garden gnome. He’s supposedly bloodthirsty, as depicted in There’s Something in the Barn opening scene… but also kind of adorable?

Tor Åge knows that barn elves are just a figment of Nordic folklore, but in the Christmas spirit he plays along with what Lucas claims to have seen and gives the boy a handy Gremlins-like set of rules for how to get along with his new neighbor. These elves hate artificial light and loud music, and require a nice bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve.

Bad news, then, that the family plans on throwing a Christmas party in the barn and invites the village locals to join in on the fun. And while Lucas had been forming something of a bond with the barn elf, amusingly played by Kiran Shah, that all goes out the window with the festivities. Dad’s reckless Christmas porridge consumption only seals the deal.

Halfway through an amusingly lightweight fish-out-of-water comedy, There’s Something in the Barn turns into all-out horror as the whole family, including stepmom Carol (Amrita Acharia) and Lucas’ older sister Nora (Zoe Winther-Hansen), finds themselves in a fight for their lives over the holidays. Their barn elf calls in some aggressive reinforcements, and things really start to get out of hand.

A pair of unexpectedly graphic death scenes push There’s Something in the Barn past the point of family-friendly entertainment, but the horror elements here are largely underutilized. The elves don’t appear to have any supernatural abilities, and their presentation – lovingly crafted in the style of the gnomes you might see haunting an IKEA – is more amusing than scary.

Director Martens capably blends violent action with a light festive tone, and while the screenplay (by Aleksander Kirkwood Brown) is largely one-note, it plays that note to the hilt, with no Christmas stone left unturned. Most amusing are the Norwegian traditions such as the Christmas lutefisk, a foul-smelling dish that even the barn elf won’t touch.

There’s Something in the Barn blends the Scandinavian holiday folk-horror of Rare Exports or Trollhunter with American anti-Christmas movies like Krampus and Violent Night, but it never takes itself seriously enough to work as a thriller. Still, some gorgeous Norwegian locations in and plenty of Christmas flair, including a soundtrack full of familiar seasonal hits, help make this an entirely enjoyable addition to the Christmas horror genre.