By Trudi-Rose Edwards
The calm before the storm as Christmas approaches…and the perfect time to watch There’s Something in the Barn, a festive-themed horror-comedy hitting cinemas this winter.
After inheriting a remote house and barn, an American family moves to Norway in search of a clean break. As they (struggle to) acclimatise to life in Norway, the youngest member of the family, Lucas (Townes Bunner), befriends a mysterious creature that hides in the family’s dilapidated barn. The creature – a mythical Nordic Barn Elf – seems harmless, if a bit skittish, but we soon learn (thanks to local neighbour and convenient Barn Elf afficionado, Tor Åge) that Barn Elves turn vicious if they’re exposed to light, noise or too much change. The family’s stereotypically American “welcome-to-the-neighbourhood” party in the barn pushes the little elf to its limits and sets in motion a grizzly Barn Elf assault on the family. Chaos, naturally, ensues.
There’s Something in the Barn brands itself as a horror-comedy Christmas film but it would have perhaps benefitted from leaning more heavily into one of the two genres as its on-the-fence approach means that neither can really shine. The comedy relies on clichéd ‘Americans are dumb’ jokes, varying degrees of gruesome slapstick, and the one-note (and insufferable) obliviousness of dad Bill (Martin Starr). The humour certainly seems geared towards kids and younger teens rather than an adult audience. There are a few great examples of Scandi-bleak humour but just not enough to really tickle any funny bones.
As for the horror, it’s more gory than scary but the problem is there’s really no tension at all. This is largely down to the film’s mistake of both showing the audience that the mysterious creature in the barn is in fact, a Barn Elf, as well as revealing the reasons Barn Elves can turn nasty in the first third of the movie. As a result, there’s little to no suspense; what are those glowing eyes in the barn? It’s the Barn Elf. Why has the once friendly creature gone rogue? The family have upset him by trashing his barn. They should have named the film There’s a Killer Elf that We All Know About in the Barn. Since the audience already knows what’s going on and why, there are no questions to be asked – except for, perhaps, “why am I still watching?”
Despite struggling to pick a lane, There’s Something in the Barn is packed with positives.
For starters, it looks gorgeous and watching it on the big screen is a feast for the eyes. Soaring ariel shots of the vast Norwegian landscape coupled with the hygge-like cosiness of the interiors make for a fabulously festive affair.
There are some good performances to note too – Amrita Acharia plays step-mother Carol, who not only comically worries that she’s falling into the ‘evil-stepmother’ trope every time she chastises one of the kids but, despite marrying him, seems to be one of the few people to acknowledge Bill’s incompetencies. Henriette Steenstrup plays the useless local cop who is called to help the family on numerous occasions, offering little in terms of sympathy, authority or reassurance but plenty in terms of comedy.
The final third – where the family is under siege by the evil elves – cranks the quality up a notch. Using bloody horror for laughs is where the movie excels most and it’s a shame that it takes so long for this to happen. There’s also some comeuppance for the doubting Norwegian locals who spend the first two thirds of the film dismissing the family’s concerns which gets a laugh or two. Sadly the same can’t be said for Bill, who suffers no consequences for being an idiot throughout the film.
There’s Something in the Barn is a fun, family-friendly festivity akin to Gremlins. Whilst the tame attempts at horror and comedy place this film firmly in the kids/teens bracket, there’s still plenty for adults to enjoy – a game of cliché bingo perhaps? Younger ones will find the Barn Elf and his gang of ferocious friends creepy (without the risk of nightmares) and the older ones will enjoy the jokes and physical comedy. And at 100 minutes, it’s the perfect way to distract the kids up to Christmas
Adults, however, might need a few shots of Norway’s Aquavit to get through this one.
There’s Something In The Barn will be available in UK Cinemas & Digital Download from 1st December – more information at vertigoreleasing.com