There's Something in the Barn

I just tried to get through this catastrophe of a movie today. I am never going to get those 90 minutes of my life back. It was longer than that, but I just HAD to fast forward as there was no way I would make it through this movie without actively losing some neurons. I don't think what two of the main characters (the mother and daughter) did was even acting. I wondered if their family members were execs in the movie because I see no other reason to choose worse actors.

I gave it two stars because I have actually seen on Netflix a couple of movies who were even worse than this one. But this one gave the others a run for their money. I also found the Norwegian characters likeable and I was roting for the elves to do away with the annoying family.

An American family head to Norway, to move into a home that they've inherited. They find life very different, and discover something very strange and very dangerous living in the barn.

It's better than the score on here would suggest, compared to most of the Christmas films I've seen recently, this is way better. This was a fun film, an adventure that's suitable for most of the family.

There are several fun scenes, the first big attack was nicely done, and the elves looked really good.

It's very corny, and they really did go overboard with the loud, over the top American family, who of course are into self help and garish Christmas decorations, that syrupy mother and daughter moment was so naff.

I chuckled at that scene where the dad says that Norway is the most friendly place on Earth, I've been twice, even many Norwegians will admit, many Norwegians are very reserved.

7/10.

Can't say it's bad.

The plot is very flawed, the acting makes no sense in most parts. It was classified as a dark comedy, horror and fantasy film. Only the fantasy part was kind of right, and even there is mostly due to the elfs reference than any fantasy at all. In the first half of the movie you get the feeling that the elf's are fast and hard to see, that would fulfill the fantasy part, then they slowly grade down to children in costumes moving slow and ultimately incapable of putting up a fight. That makes the whole thing kind of pointless and nonsense. I felt deeply diving into the "if only the remote was by the couch..." state.

Can't say it's bad either. It's a nicely shot flick, with nice landscapes and good pace. But still fails being horror, fails being comic, just...a regular Sunday afternoon nothing else to see and it's already on kind of movie.

A watchable piece of escapist nonsense, suitable for Christmas viewing if you really can't find anything better to watch. The plot is daft in the extreme, the comedy rather mild and the horror weak. The elves looked like they had just stepped out of a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs production. It really fails at just about every level, except for huge dollops of sentimentality which got more and more difficult to digest as the film went along. It certainly won't be making it into the league of Christmas films that regularly get screened over the Christmas period. I'd be surprised it if resurfaces next Christmas.

There's Something In The Barn is a Norwegian horror/comedy, easy to watch, not really hilarious nor frightening. Most of the movie is in English as it is an American family moving into a house they inherited in Norway. There's is some Norwegian but almost every Norwegian speaks English with their typical funny accent. The elves speak an non-existent language, they're not really scary looking, just mean if you don't treat them well. The acting was okay, the story as well but it's nothing you will remember in the future. In short, it could have been funnier and it could have been scarier. Well shot so worth a watch.