Magnus Martens' There's Something in the Barn made quite the impression when it screened at Fantastic Fest this year, and now we've learned (thanks to a new trailer and report at Bloody Disgusting) when everyone else will get to see this rollicking barn elf horror jam: December 5th! Why, that's just in time for Christmas!
Here's an official plot synopsis, for anyone just joining the party:
“An American family fulfills their dream of returning to their roots after inheriting a remote cabin in the mountains of Norway. However, they are in for a big surprise. An elf with a nasty temper lives in the house’s barn. When the family starts to infuriate the creature, a raw and bloody struggle for survival ensues.”
Now, let's see what that looks like in action...
This is a strong trailer. It's fun seeing this oblivious American family bumble their way into an ass-kicking by a number of barn elves, and the tone here calls to mind other darkly comedic, holiday-themed horror films like Rare Exports and Krampus. The elves themselves look good, too: a bit goofy, but also just the right amount of menacing.
Speaking of which, BD quotes Martens as saying the following regarding barn elves:
“Barn elves are deeply rooted in Norwegian folklore and tradition. They are in our souls and part of our culture. Making a movie about a foreign family who do not understand them, then annoys the hell out of them and then must fight them, makes perfect sense. The only weird thing about it is that it hasn’t been done before.
I love Christmas movies as much as anyone else and having two kids, I have watched them all over the years around the holidays. But what all of us really seem to miss is a movie that has a new, fresh, and original approach, without losing the classic Christmas spirit. I truly believe that There’s Something in the Barn is what people are looking for.”
Sounds good to us! Martens, who previously directed episodes of Fear the Walking Dead, Good Behavior, and Banshee, oversees a cast led by Martin Starr, Amrita Acharia, and Jeppe Beck Laursen, all of whom are working from a script by Aleksander Kirkwood Brown. We recommend pouring yourself a big-ass mug of egg nog and giving this one a whirl when it hits digital on December 5th!
