Thale - A Dark Secret - DVD

Movie: When crime scene cleaners Leo (Jan Sigve Skard) and Elvis (Erlend Nervold) are assigned to take care of the body of the deceased owner in a remote cabin in the woods, they quickly realize that this is a special challenge. But they have no idea what dangers this assignment will bring. Even when they come across a hidden cellar, in which they not only find all kinds of strange sketches and eerie tape recordings, the whole thing seems a little mysterious. The friends get really scared when they are suddenly attacked by a young woman (Silje Reinamo), who they can only restrain with difficulty. Based on the records in the cellar, it is revealed to Leo and Elvis that the mute woman is called Thale and has been hidden in the cellar for decades. The reason sounds completely unbelievable. But when the crime scene cleaners realize that the woods surrounding the cabin are not as deserted as they were when they first arrived, it seems increasingly likely to them that Thale is actually far more than just a beautiful young woman...

Whether it's trolls in Trollhunter or Santa Claus in Rare Exports, in recent years Scandinavian filmmakers have repeatedly blended classic legends with modern genre stylistic devices to create an entertaining whole that has delighted horror and fantasy fans in Germany as well. Now, in Thale - A Dark Secret, director Aleksander L. Nordaas turns his attention to the mystical mythical creature of the Hudra, a female mythical creature who is said to lure and seduce young men into the woods - something many a man has paid for with his life. The Huldra, guardian of the woods, is usually distinguished by her beauty and long hair, and in many legends is naked and equipped with an animal tail.

Nordaas expertly blends this legend with buddy movie motifs, spicing it all up with a bit of black comedy, X-Files-style mystery thriller, and effective creature-horror. This mix could have easily come across as overstuffed or indecisive. But the filmmaker finds just the right mix, making the whole thing work really well. The viewer can laugh here, get a little creeped out the next moment, or be enveloped by the tense atmosphere. The fact that the tension can be built up and held despite the rather lighter moments and the calm, despite the short 75 minutes running time rather worn production, is not only due to the successful mix of the different ingredients, but also to the atmospheric setting of the story. The gloomy forest cabin and the wonderful, but somehow threatening landscape around it give the story a gloomy mood, which is softened by the amusing interaction between Leo and Elvis, but not completely weakened.

For whom a lot of blood and action make a good fantasy or horror film, it will probably be difficult to make friends with Thale. But for those who like it a little quieter, who like it a little more bizarre and unusual, who appreciate the mixture of different genre ingredients and are looking for suspense, humor and fantasy in equal measure, they should definitely get to the bottom of the dark mystery around Thale. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The technical implementation of the DVD leaves a consistently positive impression. The image sharpness is on a good level and comes especially in the shots of the wonderfully mystical landscape to good advantage. The colours are a little undercooled, but perfectly underline the atmosphere of the story. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix remains rather restrained, especially in the first half of the film, but has repeatedly smaller and towards the finale more powerful surround effects to offer, which provide pleasant movement in the tonal events. Good!

Extras: Apart from a few trailers, the DVD unfortunately has no bonus material to offer.

Conclusion: Thale is a good mix of fantasy, buddy comedy and creature horror. With atmospheric suspense, whimsical humor, and a blend of classic folklore and contemporary horror, Aleksander L. Nordaas has created a genre representative that is both original and entertaining. Fantasy and horror fans who need a lot of action and bloodshed to be entertained will probably be disappointed here. But if you like it a bit more quiet, character oriented, you should definitely not miss this short and entertaining mix. Recommended

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp