The Horror Show
Thale
by Aleksander Nordaas
I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but folklore has been a rising trend in horror movies as of late. Notable examples I can think of are Trollhunter and Absentia. I think Trollhunter broke major ground in that field and it opened up the gates for more films of the same to come about. 2012 brought Thale, the tale of a Nordic folklore creature called the Hulder. According to the director, Aleksander Nordaas, a Hulder is a creature that looks like a woman with a cow’s tail but is from the underworld. As someone who wasn’t familiar with Hulders, this movie seemed refreshing.
Elvis and Leo clean up crime scenes, Elvis has a weak stomach for gore and vomits easily. One particular job is strange. The remains of an elderly man have been found, well, half of them. It’s up to Elvis and Leo to find the missing half. They decide to tear up the floors in the shed to see if any animals dragged the remains below the boards. In the process, they discover a hole leading to a dungeon-esque basement. They initially believe that this was where the old man lived, then they discover a lab. In said lab they discover a twenty-something woman, Thale, in a bathtub of white water. On her back, she has mysterious wound that has been stitched closed. She possesses strange abilities, anyone who touches her shares her memories, she can touch any dying thing and bring it back to life, and she’s also fast, stron,g and deadly. She is a Hulder, and her sisters are looking for her as well as some men with guns.
What made this story interesting is the how the director chose to tell the story. The main plot is divided up with what happened prior to the start of the movie. This is done via Elvis and Leo listening to the tapes left behind by the old man, and Thale’s memories. A lot of the backstory is left vague. It’s assumed that the old man was a scientist experimenting on Hulders. He grew attached to her and chose to save her. He notes that something makes her different from the other Hulders. He has several theories as to why she is different but no conclusive evidence. The openness of Thale definitely works for the movie. Some movies offer no answers and refuse to encourage the viewer on coming to their own conclusions. Thale provides several points while still allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions.
Thale also seems to be an experiment in world building. Elvis and Leo are captured by several men hunting down Thale. They are told that they are trying to acquire Thale for their client. Who their client is seems to be a mystery but it’s a nice element that adds to the world of Thale. The men are also sporting a logo on their uniforms that I couldn’t quite make out, sadly. I would be interested in getting a closer look, I feel like that added another level of complexity to the world.
Interestingly, Thale isn’t a very strong character herself. She doesn’t talk, so she must rely on body language, however, that doesn’t do much to develop a character. Thale is pretty, strong, badass, and deadly. What makes the film interesting is that the movie isn’t about Thale, it’s mostly about the effect Thale has on others. The old man locks Thale away from the world in order to protect her. Thale saves Leo and helps Elvis reunite with his estranged daughter. Thale always leaves a profound effect on those around her.
Interestingly, a sequel is in development for Thale. The original writer-director is attached to the project to fulfil the same roles. I suspect that the sequel may not be a sequel but instead a prequel. One thing that leads me to believe this is because so much of the backstory is unclear that it could make an entire movie in itself. Like who is after Thale, and why? Who really was the old man that raised Thale? We never even got to see his face. I would like to see the sequel or prequel continue to focus on the effects Thale has on those around her, rather than focus on Thale herself. Honestly, I don’t foresee Elvis and Leo returning as lead roles in the sequel because their story lines were fairly tied up by the end of Thale.
The movie also builds its own lore regarding Hulders. There’s so much folklore on Hulders, the movie has to find its own mythology. It did borrow heavily from traditional lore though, for some reason a Hulder’s metabolism is affected by bathing, thus she must bathe frequently to avoid being tracked. Strangely, Thale appears more human than the other Hulders. According to Christian mythology, Hulders came into existence when a woman bathed only half of her children when God came to visit. She hid the dirty ones out of shame, and God punished her for hiding her kids by turning them into Hulders. So, it’s quite possible that Thale’s regular bathing habits maintain her human form. I thought that was a nice touch.
I honestly really enjoyed this movie and I’m looking forward to the sequel. Despite the movie being less than an hour and a half, it didn’t feel short at all. I think Nordaas knew exactly what he wanted to do and chose not to bog the movie down with excessive details. The movie also managed to do so on a tiny budget, only $10,000. With such a small budget, a film can’t rely on gimmicks such as a CGI Band-Aids. I think the only CGI in the movie was the short tail scene and the scenes with the wild Hulders. Overall, I think the move excelled given the constraints. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait too long for the sequel, or as I hope, prequel.
Billy Wayne Martin, HMS
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