Given their inherently terrifying nature, it’s a wonder that killer cephalopods are not allotted much space in terms of cinematic appreciation. From their billowy, spectral appearance made of impossibly malleable physiology to their multitude of powerful, elongated appendages to their elusive hunting acumen and unparalleled intelligence, these beasts are seemingly a perfect recipe for all sorts of nightmare fuel, yet their track record still pales in comparison to killer shark movies. Part of that absence must certainly come from the struggle to credibly depict such creatures onscreen: 1954’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is arguably the gold standard, but that film’s squid attack is limited to a single scene. More commonly, viewers find earnest attempts at replicating the Jaws formula for a feature-length killer mollusk to result in howlers like 1977’s Tentacles. And even more common yet, no earnestness is employed at all and the creatures are instead utilized in swill like Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.
But these invertebrates deserve cinematic respect, and hoping to restore some street cred to the legendary sea monster’s legacy is Norwegian director Pål Øie, who arrives with Kraken. Marrying mythology with the harsh reality of mankind’s ecological devastation of the planet, Kraken keeps a poker face better than most creature features, treating the proceedings with utmost solemnity. However, pacing is not Øie’s friend, who frustratingly devotes too much time to his human characters before unleashing all aquatic hell. This micalibration results in a dull, lopsided film, one that skimps on what is arguably its most crucial ingredient: the kraken.
In the Songnefjord, Norway’s longest and deepest fjord, running over 120 miles long and reaching to 3,300 feet deep, a salmon farm has been experiencing some strange occurrences, including damaged underwater equipment and invasive sea lice. Corrupt farm owner Jostein (Øyvind Brandtzæg) is trying to sweep the issues under the rug, abdicating responsibility to employee Erik (Mikkel Bratt Silset) to resolve the problems while the farm entertains potential Japanese investors. The farm is also working to debut its breakthrough new product of Sonic Lice, which would repel unwanted pests in the water. Meanwhile, marine biologist Johanne (Sara Khorami) is tasked with personally investigating the disruptions at the farm, putting her back in proximity with former lover Erik. Also in the mix is Jostein’s daughter Maria (Jenny Evensen), an environmentalist working to break down everything her father has built up. But the real danger is lurking beneath the fjord’s surface, biding its time before making a grand appearance.
Apart from a cold open that depicts the bloody disappearance of two jet-skiing tourists, and a mid-movie vanishing of a woman in a kayak, there is very little actual kraken in Kraken. Øie, who shares a story credit and is working from a script credited to three screenwriters, devotes an inordinate amount of time to laborious setup, laying out the inner machinations of the salmon farm and Johanne’s marine research work with stifling detail, holding off his headliner until the final third of the film. Roughly one hour passes of this sub-90-minute movie before the audience gets the goods they’ve been waiting for, provided they aren’t rendered unconscious by the soporific buildup. At the risk of overly invoking Jaws, it’s worth remembering that Spielberg’s classic is an exhilarating masterwork of making humans as compelling as its central predator. It would seem that Øie believes that by withholding his threat, he’s creating considerable tension, but it really only succeeds in leaving viewers stuck in neutral with a largely uninteresting ensemble.
Proceedings do perk up once the eponymous beast arrives, with Øie proving particularly adept at stuffing humans and tentacles into confined spaces — one particular sequence in an air duct procudes a nice blend of claustrophobia and deadly sucker action. The scale of the beast is also nicely realized, even if it’s never quite enjoyed in full — a few tentacles here and an enormous eyeball there sell the illusion — and there’s some decent kraken attackin’ in the film’s final third. But it’s largely a case of too little, too late for Øie, who fails to deliver enough of the goods — if that’s even possible — to redeem the grueling preceding hour spent treading water. The director also keeps hammering his pro-environmentalist theme home, even having his characters repeat the importance of protecting the earth ad nauseum so that the message can hit the folks sleeping in the back. Noble enough, but perhaps if Øie decides to wade out into another deadly creature film, the same amount of energy should be committed to making said deadly creature really sing. Any subtext will likely take care of itself.
DIRECTOR: Pål Øie; CAST: Sara Khorami, Mikkel Bratt Silset, Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes, Øyvind Brandtzæg, Jenny Evensen; DISTRIBUTOR: Samuel Goldwyn Films; IN THEATERS/STREAMING: June 12; RUNTIME: 1 hr. 40 min.
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