Horror movies set at Christmas are nothing new, from classics such asGremlinsandBlack Christmasto more recent entries likeChristmas Bloody ChristmasandIt’s A Wonderful Knife. Combining a snowy setting with gruesome kills isessential for getting horror fans into the festive spirit.There’s Something in the Barnis the latest addition in this Christmas horror catalog (hitting Netflix three months after the holiday but still securing a place in the streamer’s top 10 most-watched movies), following an American family who have relocated to Norway during the festive season only to find their barn is home to a creature from Norwegian folklore. Bill Nordheim (Martin Starr) and his wife Carol (Amrita Acharia) are guilty of ignoring the warnings from their son Lucas (Townes Bunner) and the family fails to follow the barn elf’s rules, which sends him on a bloody and brutal rampage.
There’s Something in the Barn
An American family fulfills their dream of moving back after inheriting a remote cabin in the mountains of Norway.
What Is ‘There’s Something in the Barn’ about?
There’s Something in the Barnrevolves around the Nordheim family: Bill, his two kids, Nora (Zoe Winter-Hansen) and Lucas, and their stepmom, Carol. Having recently inherited a farm in Norway following the mysterious death of Bill’s uncle, the family is moving to Norway over the festive period.The set-up is a trope often seen in horror, where a family going through some conflict moves into a mysterious house. It is evident that the eldest daughter Nora resents her stepmom and is struggling to adapt to the big change. Much of the first half of the movie is spent watching the family explore Norway and uncover the societal differences between their new home country and the U.S. Bill and Carol are attempting to socialize with the locals and show them ideas to renovate their new barn into a desirable getaway spot, but they are met with cold expressions.
Lucas wanders off from his parents and stumbles across a man named Tor Age who runs a small exhibit in the town center about creatures from Norwegian folklore commonly known as Barn Elves. Lucas is inquisitive and asks whether barn elves are real, and if they are good or bad. This immediately establishes Lucas as the bridge between humans and barn elves. Tor Age tells the young boy that barn elves can be very helpful if they are treated well, but if you upset them, they will do whatever they can to get rid of you.In a similar structure toGremlins, he gives Lucas three rules to follow; no artificial lights, no change, and no loud noise. If Lucas follows them, then nothing will go wrong, and it’s these rules that frame the rest of the movie.
Who Are the Killer Creatures in ‘There’s Something in the Barn’?
Through more exploring, Lucas meets the elf who is living in their barn. He offers the creature a cookie and explains that he is a friend. The relationship the two develop is similar to Elliot andETor Billy and Gizmo,genuinely charming and innocent. Although there is a language barrier, it is clear the two find comfort in their mutual kindness. The next morning, the family wakes up to a driveway that has already been cleared of snow. Lucas tries to guide his family on how to keep the barn elf happy, so he can keep helping them, but is ignored and dismissed. Instead, the parents are more interested in making a good impression on the neighborhood and decide to throw a big party in the barn — one that will break all the barn elf’s rules. Bill sets up a huge display of Christmas decorations only for them all to be destroyed during the night. Enter the town’s police officer, Liv (Henriette Steenstrup), who dismisses the damage and puts it down to local kids. The authorities are not going to be much help if the barn elf gets even more destructive.
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Despite the warning signs, the party goes ahead. The combination of bright lights, loud music, and Nora inadvertently vomiting on the main elf escalates the situation. However, Lucas is told by Tor Age that a bowl of porridge sprinkled with cinnamon and butter will be a sign of peace and the elf will not become violent. The family sits down for dinner, and Bill presents them with Lutefisk, a traditional Norwegian Christmas dish. Unfortunately, none of them can stomach the fish and Bill ends up sneaking into the fridge and eating Lucas' porridge. The way he speaks to Lucas, telling him his friends would’ve loved the porridge as it was delicious, perfectly encapsulateshow Lucas has been dismissed throughout the entire movie. Left with no other choice, Lucas takes the Lutefisk to the barn elf, and the elf is so repulsed that he finally breaks and goes on a rampage.
How Does the Nordheim Family Defeat the Barn Elves?
The elf quickly disposes of a friendly neighbor, Raymond (Jeppe Beck Laursen), who has come to the house dressed as Santa, by hitting a wall andcausing an icicle to fall and impale him. Bill comes out to find Raymond and quickly attempts to help the family escape with no luck. The barn elf calls upon others of his kind and soon the family is surrounded. Carnage ensues as each family member is cornered and fights for their lives, just about managing to fend off the creatures. The methods of protection act as symbolism for the characters' personalities, with Bill and Carol being sporadic, throwing what they can find, Nora using her softball skills to bat the elves and Lucas using his prior knowledge to shine a lamp at the creatures. They manage to find some safety and call the police. Much like earlier in the movie, Liv is dismissive and doesn’t believe the family. The family asks where her gun is, and she tells them that Norway they approach things differently than in America.This thread of dialogue surrounding cultural differences quickly gives way toLiv eating her words as she steps outside and is killed by elves riding her snowmobile.
The family splits up, the boys travel to find help and the girls stay in Nora’s room to keep the elves occupied. Nora and Carol make explosives out of sparklers and moonshine to scare off the elves. The aftermath causes them both to finally bring down their walls, and Nora admits that she has already accepted Carol as her mom. With the two inside, sitting by the warmth of a fire, this moment uses the setting to represent the pair’s transition from their cold exteriors to warmth for each other. However, the elves are still not defeated and Nora runs for help.Carol manages to overpower them and, in the film’s least subtle metaphor, stabs them with an American flag.
Lucas and Bill find Tor Age’s house, and he agrees to help them. The group finds that Carol and Nora have been kidnapped by the elves and travel through a network of tunnels to find them in a clearing. Surrounded by elves, Tor Age pleads for peace and mutual agreement but is shot.The elves chase the family back to the barn, and Lucas regains the trust of the original elf who lived in their barn. The family manages to climb a ladder up to the second floor of the barn and whilst Lucas and Bill escape, Nora throws a flaming paper airplane towards the floor, lighting a trail of spilled gasoline. The barn sets alight, and the family watches on. Tor Age is revealed to have survived, and when asked what happened, Nora explains that it was the family or the elves, so they did what they had to do to survive. Now homeless, the elf is relocated to Tor Age’s exhibit, free from anything that could break his rules again.
There’s Something in the Barnis available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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