The Screening Room | Norwegian 'Kraken' a worthy Kaiju entry

'Kraken' ★★★ Cast: Sara Khorami, Oyvind Brandt, Mikkel Bratt Silset, Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes and Jenny Evensen. Directed by Pal Oie; produced by John Einar Hagen; screenplay by Natasha Arthur and Vilde Eide. A Samuel Goldwyn Films release. 90 minutes. Rated

PG-13 (action violence). Available through Video on Demand and Amazon Prime.

Slickly produced and briskly told, Pal Oie's Norwegian monster movie "Kraken" is a pleasant surprise, though the tale has been often told.

Using "Jaws" as its template, the film takes a surprising left turn in its third act when it ostensibly becomes a haunted-house exercise in the "Alien" vein. Buoyed by a committed cast and digital visual effects that for the most part blend in with the movie's natural environment, there's a sense of realism to this cautionary tale that holds it in good stead.

The Songefjord is a narrow, deep stretch of water to the tune of more than 4,000 feet. This makes it perfect for many things, including the operation of a huge fish farm, as well as serving as a home for a massive sea creature. Much like the Loch Ness Monster, this behemoth has taken on mythic proportions as sightings of it have taken place over the years, though no definitive proof of its existence has been found. That's all about to change ...

Johanne (Sara Khorami) is a marine biologist sent to conduct an inspection on a salmon farm, as there have been reports of abhorrent fish behavior and maybe a mutation or two. This is less-than-welcome news for the owner, Avaldsnes (Oyvind Brandt), who has plans to quickly expand his operation. While he's showing perspective investors around the facility, we and they are educated about a new technology, Sonic Lice, that uses vibrations to alleviate parasites in the fish, insuring they grow larger and healthier.

Coincidentally, Johanne was one of the inventors of this process, along with Erik (Mikkel Bratt Silset), who continues to work at the farm. Former lovers, their reunion is the very definition of "awkward."

As with most things that muddle with the natural order, Sonic Lice is doing much more than wiping out parasites. Seems it's trifling with the entire ecosystem, waking and upsetting the titular creature in the process. Mayhem ensues.

Oie keeps his cards close to his vest, putting off the monster reveal until the final half-hour, giving the viewer a looming shadow or tentacle here or there to maintain interest. Johanne's reunion with the others makes up the bulk of the movie, all of which is more engaging than it ought to be. In addition to the aforementioned are her old friend, Henriette (Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes), now married to Avaldsnes, and her daughter, Maria (Jenny Evensen), an environmental activist opposing her father's efforts.

Johanne's reckoning with these relationships as the mystery surrounding the fjord activity is revealed proves an effective narrative approach. It's to Khorami's credit that she holds the film together with her assured performance.

While most of the movie takes place on the water, the final 30 minutes becomes a claustrophobic nightmare. The salmon farm also houses a vast underwater network of passageways and tight quarters akin to a submarine. As Johanne and the others seek refuge there, the massive tentacles of the beast slither, snake down and go through the steely hallways, each seemingly having a life of its own while pursuing the nature-meddling humans. It's silly, but it proves to be great fun.

"Kraken" certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel where the Kaiju template is concerned. Yet the unique locale for such a feature -- its constantly overcast skies casting a dreary pall over it all -- and the sincerity of the cast help make it a worthy entry to the genre.