Norwegian Nightmares: The Horror Cinema of a Nordic Country

Since the early 2000s, Norway has produced a regular stream of horror cinema including Cold Prey, Troll Hunter, Thelma and The Innocents. Norwegian Nightmares investigates the origins of this horror wave and charts its unique characteristics in relation to the chiefly American influences that inspired it. Norwegian nature and wilderness, in particular an obsession with dark and deadly water, give shape and national identity to Norway’s tradition of horror cinema. Andresen studies the cinematic journey to the dark side of a wealthy, ostensibly peaceful and harmonious social democracy on the fringes of the Arctic.

Christer Bakke Andresen is Associate Professor of Film Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He wrote his PhD thesis on the emergence and hallmarks of the horror cinema of Norway in the post-2000 era. Andresen’s research interests include genre cinema, the aesthetics of horror, the concept of style in film and series, and the spectator’s emotional engagement with fiction.