Troll 2 Review: Bigger Trolls, Higher Stakes — But Does the Sequel Deliver?

A new troll has awakened… but has the magic returned with it?

Netflix’s Troll 2 stomps onto screens with larger ambitions, heavier lore, and a monster-sized budget. Directed once again by Roar Uthaug, the sequel tries to expand the world introduced in Troll (2022) — taking Norway’s folklore-infused kaiju saga to darker, louder, and more emotional territory.

But while Troll 2 certainly scales up the destruction, the question remains: does it deepen the story — or just make it noisier?

Let’s break it down.

The Story: Mythology Overdrive

Set years after the events of the first film, Troll 2 reunites Nora Tidemann, Andreas Isaksen, and Captain Kristoffer Holm for their most dangerous mission yet.

This time, the threat is Jotun — a new, ancient troll awakened from hibernation, whose path of destruction cuts across Norway. As chaos spreads, the team is forced to:

• Revisit Norway’s buried history

• Confront uncomfortable truths about how trolls were nearly wiped out

• Seek help from an unexpected ally: another giant troll

The film leans heavily into myth, religion, and historical revisionism — exploring how humans and trolls once coexisted before betrayal, genocide, and fear reshaped the land.

Conceptually? Ambitious.Execution-wise? Uneven.

What Works: Scale, Spectacle, and Setting

Let’s be fair — Troll 2 looks impressive.

Filmed across Trondheim, Maridalen, Jotunheimen, and Budapest, this is the largest film production ever mounted in the Nordic countries, and it shows. The trolls feel massive, tactile, and genuinely threatening.

Highlights include:

• A ski resort massacre that’s grimly effective

• Trondheim under siege, with Nidaros Cathedral playing a key role

• The final troll-on-troll showdown, which is pure monster-movie indulgence

From a visual standpoint, Troll 2 understands scale better than its predecessor. Jotun feels like a force of nature, not just a creature.

The Emotional Core: Strong Ideas, Mixed Impact

At the heart of the film is Nora, once again portrayed with restraint and empathy. Her belief that trolls are not just monsters — but victims of history — gives the sequel its moral spine.

The introduction of “Beautiful,” the offspring of the Troll King, is one of the film’s better ideas. The attempt to humanize trolls and frame them as a persecuted species adds thematic weight.

However, the film often tells us what to feel instead of letting moments breathe. Emotional beats — including sacrifice, guilt, and regret — arrive quickly and move on just as fast.

It wants to be tragic.

It doesn’t always earn it.

Performances: Solid, But Secondary to the Monsters

• Kim S. Falck-Jørgensen brings quiet intensity to Nora

• Mads Sjøgård Pettersen remains dependable as Andreas

• Supporting characters add texture, but few leave a lasting impression

This is ultimately a creature-driven film, not an actor’s showcase — and that’s fine, as long as expectations are set accordingly.

Where Troll 2 Stumbles: Pacing and Repetition

At 105 minutes, Troll 2 isn’t overly long — but it often feels stretched.

Issues include:

• Repeated beats of “troll appears → military responds → fails”

• Heavy exposition dumps about history and mythology

• A predictable structure once the rules are established

By the third act, the film starts feeling less like a tense monster thriller and more like a checklist of sequel obligations.

And while the mythology is interesting, it’s sometimes overexplained, draining mystery rather than enhancing it.

Reception: A Divisive Follow-Up

Critics have been split on Troll 2:

• IMDb: 5.3/10

• Rotten Tomatoes: 56%

Most agree the sequel is bigger but not sharper — expanding the world without fully refining the storytelling.

Fans of the first film may appreciate the ambition, while newcomers might find the pacing heavy.

Final Verdict: Entertaining, But Less Enchanted

⭐ Rating: 3/5

Troll 2 isn’t a disaster — it’s a serviceable, occasionally thrilling sequel that struggles under the weight of its own mythology.

It delivers:

• Strong visuals

• Solid monster action

• Expanded lore

But it lacks:

• Narrative tightness

• Emotional patience

• The novelty that made the original stand out

Still, as a Netflix monster movie with Nordic flavor, it’s worth watching — just don’t expect lightning to strike twice.

Sometimes, bigger trolls don’t mean a better tale.