With a title like “Kraken” there’s not much left to the imagination. But hats off to director Pål Øie who fully embraces our expectations while both exceeding and subtly subverting them as well. In many ways the approach he takes is similar to his last film, the 2019 disaster thriller “The Tunnel”. Obviously with a name like “Kraken”, Øie is diving into slightly more fantastical waters. Be he retains his interests in large-scale suspense, the beauty and resilience of nature, and the melding of humanity with spectacle.

“Kraken” is very much a creature-feature about an ancient tentacled monster from the deep. But its eco-sensitive themes give the story some unexpected weight. It doesn’t make the most profound cinematic statement you’ll hear from a movie this year. But it adds a handful of creative and compelling layers to “Kraken” while making several thoughtful points, some metaphorically and others that are a bit more on-the-nose.

Johanne (Sara Khorami) is a dedicated marine biologist working for the Institute of Marine Research. After suspicions arise over a salmon farm in the small village of Vangsnes, Johanne is sent to inspect the facility. Vangsnes is a scenic town built along the crystal-blue Sognefjord, the largest and deepest fjord in all of Norway. The high-tech fish farm is owned by a corporate suit named Jostein (Øyvind Brandtzæg) who is more focused on entertaining potential investors from Japan than addressing the distress his new tech may be having on the local ecosystem.

We learn Johanne once lived in Vangsnes where she worked with fellow researcher Erik (Mikkel Bratt Silset) on a prototype to keep parasites off the salmon. Johanne left before their project was finished, leaving Erik to do the rest of the work. Now she’s back to see if their invention is harming the fish and the fjord. Unlike his boss, Erik is an upright man who takes Johanne’s concerns seriously. Together they begin running a series of tests while Jostein repeatedly brushes off their discoveries, not wanting to threaten his lucrative investment deal.

Johanne and Erik learn that the tech is not only having an adverse impact on the salmon, but there’s a ripple effect across the fjord. Schools of fish are suddenly flopping to the shore. Casts of crabs are leaving the water in droves. But the biggest consequence lies deep at the bottom of the fjord, where an agitated sea creature resembling the legendary Kraken emerges, wreaking havoc on the normally quiet community.

While “Kraken” is a creature-feature at its core, it could also be categorized as a disaster movie. And like most good disaster movies, “Kraken” introduces us to a number of characters who will at some point inevitably find themself in the monster’s path. Aside from Johanne, Erik, and Jostein, there is a wise and seasoned sea captain named Olav (Hans Morten Hansen). There’s the research facility’s technician, Georg (Jon Erik Myre). There’s also Henriette (Ingvild Holthe Bygones), a police officer whoi is also Jostein’s wife. And there’s Jostein’s rebellious daughter Maria (Jenny Evensen) and her two moody friends, Cato (Steinar Klouman Hallert) and Hallvard (Filip Bargee Ramberg).

The slow-building story gives most of the characters plenty of time to establish themselves in Øie’s world although some could use more depth. Surrounding them is a truly breathtaking display of natural beauty, captured through an array of stunning drone shots and gorgeous on-location filming. As for the eponymous creature, it is kept out of sight for much of the movie. We’re only given brief glimpses until the angry cephalopod fully rises from the depths to unleash its final-act retribution. But even then, Øie doesn’t overplay the spectacle. Instead he retains the mystery behind the menace.

Following a solid slow-simmering buildup, “Kraken” finally delivers an exciting payoff that tips its hat to a number of classic films including “Alien” and “The Blob”. Honestly, the ending doesn’t completely make sense. And there is a feeling that it could have been more spectacular without going full Roland Emmerich. But that aside, Øie keenly serves up a engaging mix of mystery and mayhem, using all the classic disaster movie and creature-feature ingredients, and seasoning them with his own stylistic flavor. The results are gorgeous, terrifying, and thoroughly entertaining.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS