Troll ending explained – why was the Troll King heading to Oslo?

By Lori Meek - December 1, 2022 (Last updated: September 23, 2024)
troll-ending
By Lori Meek - December 1, 2022 (Last updated: September 23, 2024)

We discuss the ending of the Netflix film Troll (2022), which will contain spoilers. Why was the Troll King heading to Oslo? Let’s deep dive!

Written and directed by Roar UthaugTroll follows a group of oddball heroes as they try to stop a mythical creature after it rises from the rocky depths of the Dovre mountain. After the creature starts wreaking havoc, the Norwegian government seeks the help of paleontologist Nora Tidemman (Ine Marie Wilmann) who teams up with the Prime Minister’s advisor, Andreas (Kim Falck), and soldier, Kris (Mads Sjøgård Pettersen). The three also seek assistance from Nora’s father and folklore expert, Tobias (Gard B. Eidsvold), who in the past lost his job for his belief in the existence of trolls. The group must find a way to stop both the creature before it causes more mayhem and their government before it pulls a very dangerous trigger. 

Troll ending explained – why was the Troll King heading to Oslo?

By the time we reach the final act, the mythical creature that woke up from a Dovre mountain cave has already caused a good amount of damage. The Prime Minister arranged for a military operation led by Kris, but the contemporary weapons only served to annoy it. Tobias tried communicating with the troll, but sadly lost his life in the process and Nora’s idea of attacking the monster with church bells failed spectacularly, causing even more carnage. To make matters worse, at this point, news outlets from around the world have picked up the story and broadcast it around the world. As the troll is heading to the country’s capital, Oslo, the Prime Minister orders a complete evacuation of the city. 

While Nora lost her seat at the table, Andreas decides to resign from his position after learning the government’s plan to bomb Oslo and, hopefully, destroy the troll. The type of bomb is never outright specified, but the viewer can hazard a good guess given the hints. 

Meanwhile, Nora and Tobias make one last attempt at finding out the truth about the creature. Tobias’s notes lead them to the Royal castle, where they meet Chief Justice Rikard Sinding (Bjarne Hjelde) who finally reveals the truth about the trolls in Norway. As it turns out, Tobias was right all along and these mythical creatures used to walk the country’s lands. When Nora’s dad got too close to the truth, Sinding himself arranged for the old man to be committed to a mental health hospital to protect the secret. The Royal palace was built on top of the Troll King’s palace after the Christians massacred his troll family and left him for dead inside the mountain, explaining why the creature was heading for Oslo in the first place: He’s been trying to go home. 

After discovering that trolls are indeed sensitive to sunlight, Nora calls Kris and they plan to expose the King to the UV lights from a bunch of tanning beds. While Krist calls on some fellow soldiers to make the troll trap, Andreas asks his friend Sigrid back at the top-secret government facility to delay the whole nuke-Oslo-kill-troll plan. Luckily, Sigrid is not just a Star Trek fan, but also a very capable hacker. 

Nora and Andreas place the skull of one of the Troll King’s babies in the back of the Queen’s favorite truck and they lure him to the UV light trap. As the plan is working perfectly, Nora has a last-minute change of heart, turns off the lights, and tries saving the creature’s life. Sadly, it’s too late. The sun rises, this time without being covered by clouds, and finishes off the poor Troll King. While everyone else is rejoicing, Andreas and Nora start wondering whether more trolls are hiding deep inside Norway’s mountains. If there are, surely a sequel is in order? 

What did you think of the ending of the Netflix film Troll? Comment below.

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