*Disclaimer: This Article Will Contain Spoilers*

To many film enthusiasts, the horror movie Troll 2 is a name that strikes fear – not because of its scariness, but because of the infamously horrible quality of the movie. With a rating of 2.9/10 stars on IMDb and a whopping 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, Troll 2 is regarded by many as the worst movie ever made. But is it really? 

Troll 2 was released in 1990, and was written and directed by Italian filmmaker Claudio Fragrasso. It revolves around a family visiting a country town called Nilbog, unaware of the fact that it’s actually a trap set up by man-eating goblins. The story follows the lead character, Joshua, as he tries to save his oblivious family from the goblins. The main cast consists of Michael Paul Stephenson as the main character Joshua Waits, Connie Young as Josh’s sister Holly, and George Hardy and Margo Prey as their parents Michael and Diana. Two key factors that contribute to the quality of the film are the fact that Fragrasso was hardly fluent in English while writing the script to Troll 2, and the fact that this was the first time the main actors starred in films with the exception of Stephenson, who had starred in three films prior to being in Troll 2.

One of the most important parts of films is acting, a department in which every actor is lacking. The acting is stiff and expressionless, even in emotional or high intensity scenes. For example, there’s a scene in which the supporting character Arnold, played by Darren Ewing, witnesses a woman getting eaten by the goblins, and realizes that he’s likely next. His reaction to this is to explain exactly what’s happening to the audience, followed by saying “OH MY GOD” in a voice that’s slightly louder than a normal talking voice. In any other context this acting would be considered terrible, but in comparison to the other acting in Troll 2 it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Ewing’s acting in this scene is probably some of the best in this entire movie. 

There are many other issues aside from the acting, one of which is special effects. A huge example of this is with the goblins, who – despite being the main antagonists of this movie – have some of the most horrendous designs known to mankind. Their faces, very obviously masks, are stiff throughout the movie, even in scenes where a goblin is eating or talking, and are more goofy looking than horrifying. Aside from that, the green substance that the people in the movie dissolve into after eating the goblin food also looks awful. The dissolving process in the movie looks unrealistic in execution, and is once again another example of something in this movie looking more silly than anything. 

Although there’s an absurd amount of issues with nearly every aspect of Troll 2, every scene in this movie is so poorly made that it’s laughable, which ironically enough is what makes this movie so enjoyable. This makes it a great movie to watch for fun, and in my personal experience it’s a great way to bond with friends. In the end, this movie is a textbook example of something “so bad it’s good”.

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