Elves (TV series) explained

Native Name:

Genre:

Horror
fantasy
drama

Creator:

Stefan Jaworski

Director:

Roni Ezra

Starring:

Sonja Sofie Engberg Steen
Milo Campanale
Vivelill Søgaard Holm
Lila Nobel
Peder Thomas Pedersen
Ann Eleonora Jørgensen
Rasmus Hammeric

Composer:

Anthony Lledo
Mikkel Maltha

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Num Seasons:

Num Episodes:

Executive Producer:

Jonas Allen
Peter Bose
Stefan Jaworski
Jannik Tai Mosholt
Christian Potalivo

Producer:

Elise H. Lund

Location:

Denmark

Cinematography:

Lars Reinholdt

Editor:

Michael Bauer
Ida Bregninge
Dan Loghin

Runtime:

22–26 minutes

Company:

Miso Film

Network:

Netflix

Elves (Danish: Nisser) is a Danish horror-fantasy-drama streaming television series created by Stefan Jaworski. The first season, containing six episodes, premiered on Netflix on 28 November 2021.

Background

The series was first announced on 6 October 2020.^[1] Stefan Jaworski had previously created the show The Rain.

Synopsis

A Danish family travels to the remote island of Aarmandsø to spend Christmas together, away from the city. Unbeknownst to them, the island is inhabited by carnivorous elves. The protagonist of the story and youngest member of the family, Jose, befriends a stranded baby elf, whom they hit with their car while driving to their rented house. Jose names the elf Kee-ko. When the elves start killing people, the family has to fight for their lives.

Cast and characters

Sonja Sofie Engberg Steen as Jose Svane, a young girl who befriends a baby elf
Milo Campanale as Kasper, Jose's brother
Vivelill Søgaard Holm as Liv, an island local
Lila Nobel as Charlotte, Jose's mother
Peder Thomas Pedersen as Mads: Jose's father
Ann Eleonora Jørgensen as Karen, an island local, Liv's grandmother
Rasmus Hammeric as Møller, an island local and Liv's uncle
Lukas Løkken as Anders, an island local

Reception

The series received mixed reviews. The Guardian gave it a score of 2/5, describing it as "E.T. meets the Wicker Man as murderous gnomes run amok," and described it as "tropey" and "bland".^[2] CBR said that it was "too cute" to be considered a horror series, and that it was missing a lot of key elements.^[3] The Michigan Daily stated that it becomes increasingly hard to sympathize with Josephine as the series progresses, and said, "(the series) could use some improvement and possibly more likeable characters, but it most definitely doesn't lack creativity. Its chilling and unsettling twist on Christmas is not a familiar phenomenon when it comes to the screen. So while this six-episode fantastical horror may not be Netflix's next acclaimed sci-fi series, it is an addicting watch nonetheless.^[4] Nordic Watch praised the series, saying, "combining a Christmas family drama with fantasy, folklore, and horror – on a par with your scariest Doctor Who episode – the series is both disturbingly freaky and heart-warming fun."^[5]

In December 2021, Elves was in the top ten most viewed series on Netflix.^[6]

Notes and References

Web site: About Netflix - 'ELVES' - A NEW DANISH NETFLIX ORIGINAL FROM THE CREATORS OF 'THE RAIN'. 24 December 2021. About Netflix. en. 24 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211224232627/https://about.netflix.com/,%20https://about.netflix.com/en/news/elves-a-new-danish-netflix-original-from-the-creators-of-the-rain. dead.
Web site: 29 November 2021. Elves review – ET meets the Wicker Man as murderous gnomes run amok. 27 December 2021. the Guardian. en.
Web site: 2 December 2021. Netflix's Elves Misses One Key Horror Component. 27 December 2021. CBR. en-US.
Web site: Hirsch. Molly. 2021-12-09. Netflix's 'Elves' is far from merry. 2021-12-27. The Michigan Daily. en-US.
Web site: 25 November 2021. Netflix's new Danish series 'Elves' brings some chills along with Christmas cheer.... 27 December 2021. Nordic Watchlist. en-US.
Web site: 29 November 2021. What is Elves on Netflix about?. 27 December 2021. Netflix Life. en-US.