KRATT

According to Estonian mythology, a kratt was a creature formed from hay or old household implements by its master, who then had to give the Devil three drops of blood to bring life to the kratt. Notable for doing everything its master ordered it to, it was mostly used for stealing and bringing home the spoils for said master; the only snag being that should it run out of tasks it would turn dangerous to its owner. Bit of a workaholic, this beast. Also reputed to be tricky to rid oneself of should it turn nasty, as might be witnessed in Kratt.

In director Rasmus Merivoo’s modernised tweak, Mia and Kevin (Nora Merivoo and Harri Merivoo–doubtless no coincidence, though not being au fait with Estonian names I can’t say for sure) are left behind with their grandmother (Mari Lill) for the summer as their parents are off to a spiritual retreat (ironically run by youngsters barely older than their offspring).

Being stuck out in the middle of rural Estonia without their phones isn’t the kids’ idea of fun (quite honestly, who can blame them), and granny’s suggestion that they amuse themselves by doing chores goes down like a sack of maggots. When she tells a bedtime story of her failed childhood efforts to produce a kratt, the seeds of a plot are sown within the children to transform the relentlessness of their mundane tasks into a walk in the park. Construct-a-kratt, if you like.

Joined by local twins Juuli (Elise Tekko) and August (Roland Treima), a trip to the library furnishes them with the instructions, and they’re ready to rock. What could possibly go wrong? Despite the modern-day angle the central theme demands Estonian folklore and culture are woven into Kratt; the attractive filming location depicts villagers living a simple, off-the-land existence whilst just beginning to dip their toes in the ragged sea of technological progress.

The characters are all eccentric but likeable, and there’s a lot of this to take in; a sub-plot of eco-protesters vying with a stressed-out director in a bid to save an ancient forest from development, the twins who join Mia and Kevin in their unlikely quest, and granny, possessed of a rather un-grannylike sense of humour.

While Kratt seems to be aimed at a young adult audience, most will find it entertaining whatever their age. Watch out, though; just as you’re snug in what you think are the realms of family viewing, suddenly there’s an f-bomb, or mythological creature talking about Fentanyl like a desperate junkie, which, though adult viewers (myself included) will likely find adds to the admittedly already darkly funny fairytale theme, may make for some tough explaining to curious younger audience members.

Kratt is more than a little all over the place, a touch overlong, and the element of political satire is one it could probably have done without (along with regular interjections of Estonian singing), but the concept is a good one, especially if you’re a fan of the Roald Dahl-esque. The energetic chaos with which it bounces along (together with the aforementioned moments of unexpected adult humour, which had even me, a total non-fan of subtitled films, cackling with surprised laughter) definitely make it worth a look.