Trollbruden Review: Trolls, Bank Books, and Swedish Farm Drama

You should watch this if you’re the type of person who finds old bank books weirdly romantic. If you want a movie where something big actually happens every ten minutes, you’re gonna be bored out of your mind.

Lorns is our main guy, and he is... a lot. He’s poor, he’s from Norrland, and he spends a lot of time dreaming about trolls.

It’s not like those big CGI trolls from modern movies. It’s more like, "Is that a rock or a monster?" kind of vibe. 🌲

The movie spends a weirdly long time on his Post Savings Bank account. I never thought I’d be watching a movie where the climax involves interest rates and deposit slips, but here we are.

The Farmer and the Girl

Lorns loves the daughter of this big, rich Sturian farmer. In these old movies, rich farmers are always the final boss of the relationship. They just stand there looking grumpy in vests.

Solveig Hedengran plays the girl, and she does this thing with her eyes where she looks terrified and in love at the exact same time. It’s actually pretty impressive, even if she doesn't get to say much.

There’s a scene where Lorns gets a big gift of money. He looks at the coins like they’re magical artifacts from another planet.

Then he loses it all. I won't tell you how, but it’s one of those "Oh no, my life is over" moments that feels very 1945. People back then really knew how to look miserable while standing in a field.

The pacing is... well, it’s slow. It’s slower than The Clue, but it has more heart.

The way they film the forest makes it feel like someone is always watching from behind a tree. Maybe it's the trolls Lorns keeps talking about, or maybe just a bored crew member.

I kept thinking about Something to Do while watching the farm scenes. Both movies have that earthy, dirty-fingernails feel to them that you don't get in modern films.

Some stuff I noticed:

• The main guy, Lorns, has the patience of a saint or just a very stubborn Swede.
• There is a lot of staring at the horizon. Like, a lot.
• The audio gets scratchy in the middle, which makes it feel like a ghost is whispering the dialogue.
• One guy in the background of the village scene just stares directly into the lens for like five seconds. 👁️

Lorns eventually saves up again. The movie really wants you to know that saving money is a superpower.

Eventually, the lost money comes back. It feels a bit too easy, like the writer realized they only had ten minutes left of film and needed a happy ending.

The reunion at the end is sweet, though. It’s not a big Hollywood kiss; it’s more of a "We survived the banking system" hug.

If you liked The Bad Lands, you might appreciate the ruggedness here. But this is much more focused on the interior life of a dreamer who is probably a bit crazy.

Is it a masterpiece? Probably not. But it has this quiet charm that you don't see anymore in these loud times.

The movie is better than Marry Month of May because it feels more honest about how much being poor actually sucks. Even if the solution is just "go to the bank."