Leo and Elvis are two employees from a cleaning service that specializes in removing human remains from crime scenes and/or death disposal. The two are childhood friends but Elvis is a novice, whose stomach is not cut out for this type of work, while Leo, a seasoned pro, is the model of calm. The duo are sent to a remote house to clean up the remains of an old man who was apparently attacked by wolves. While at his home, the two men find a hidden door which leads them to a laboratory of sorts where they discover a mysterious woman whose been kept alive for years via feeding tubes and has been the subject of the old man's medical experiments. What at first seems like a damsel in distress situation, quickly turns into something far more sinister as the two men discover this woman may not be human at all. Aleksander Nordaas' Thale is a low-budget horror film that centers around Norwegian Folklore, more specifically the Huldra, a beautiful young woman born and raised in the woods who possesses supernatural powers such as the ability to heal, super-human strength, and psychic abilities. The film is not an action packed horror film, playing more like a mystery that slowly unravels around the details of this young woman's nature. Leo and Elvis are two characters as much in the dark about their situation as the viewer, which makes them instantly relateable. The viewer is kept completely in the dark about this woman's exact intentions, which only makes the climax more thrilling. One of Thale's major problems is its inability to grasp the viewer emotionally. While we learn that many of these beats are necessary to the story, some of the more gentle or emotional moments revolving around Leo and Elvis fall flat, ultimately failing to trigger much emotion from the viewer. Being a film that was shot on a micro-budget level, Thale is impressive from both a style and image standpoint, and while I really enjoyed the blending of reality and folklore, it's a film that is lacking the emotional punch it tries to achieve. 6.25/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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