There's Something in the Barn

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.

If I'm honest I was just bored. I loathe Christmas holidays so I saw that as an opportunity to hate them more. It was actually rather cute and it works perfectly. Balanced comedy and horror. It's not horror actually it's as scary as gremlins. I don't get the R rating.

Everything works out perfectly except the father. He is Gad in every single way possible. Both the character and the actor who doesn't work.

I enjoyed it and usually I hate everything.

The kid was amazing and the step mom. The police officer is a dream.

Give it a try. It's like the best Christmas movie since die hard. It's a Christmas nightmare but cute.

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.

When a new age, nuclear, family pull up their American roots to relocate to Norway- after inheriting a "devil house" from the man's extended family- they try to fit in...but things don't exactly go as planned.

Because there is something living in their barn.

Their adolescent son quickly figures out what it is...and makes friends with it.

But no one believes him.

So when he tries to teach them the rules (on how not to piss it off).

They don't listen...and break every one of them.

However, it is one act that pushes things over the edge...

Thus turning this festive comedy into a complete horror show.

Albeit one made for children.

Is it the most innovative Christmas horror film ever?

No.

Is it the most gory Christmas horror film alltime?

Surely not.

Hell...it's not even the scariest Christmas horror film to come out of Norway.

But it's great fun!

With a decent amount of gore.

And a whole lot of laughs.

Though, not so much to make it unfit for kids.

So, if you are the type of family to watch an annual Christmas horror...and you got some kids you want to scare the "niceness" into.

This film is a great choice.

Norway definitely knows how to do it.

Except in the case of lutefisk.

Everyone hates that crap.

6 out of 10.