Kraken (2026) Review: A Norwegian Myth Awakens in the Depths of Sognefjord

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source: watch.plex.tv

Published: June 29, 2026 | Edited: November 8, 2026

Synopsis:

Kraken (2026) is a fantasy thriller film directed by Pål Øie and Sjur Aarthun. A marine biologist named Johanne is asked to travel to Vangsnes, Norway, to investigate a salmon farm at the deep of Sognefjord. At first, it seems like just a series of strange incidents: fish behaving oddly, equipment malfunctioning, and two teenagers brutally killed. All signs point to the depths of the fjord. There is something down there, something that has been awakened by the noise of technology and the construction of the salmon farm. Anything that moves or makes a sound will be destroyed. Together with Erik, Johanne must face the creature before it is too late.

Critics have praised the silent atmosphere of the Norwegian fjord, and the cold cinematography creates an incredibly chilling mood. The idea is also brilliant: sonar technology used to repel salmon lice ends up disturbing the Kraken sleeping at the bottom of the sea. When the monster finally appears, its scale is palpable. The Kraken’s design resembles a giant octopus, and its destructive attack sequences are devastating.

However, critics also point out that the film seems unsure of what it wants to be. It tries to be a serious commentary on ecology, but the final act devolves into pure monster chaos. Some of the underwater CGI has been criticized as poor, and the character development feels lacking.

This film stars: Mikkel Bratt Silset, Sara Khorami, Jenny Evensen, Hans Morten Hansen and more.

In my opinion:

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I was drawn to this film because it is Norwegian. Monster, fantasy, or mythology films from America or Hollywood? That’s nothing new. I wanted to see how Norwegian filmmakers interpret this mythological creature. For context, the Kraken originates from Nordic mythology, specifically in the 13th-century Icelandic manuscript, Orvar-Oddr. It tells the story of two sea monsters named Hafgufa and Lyngbakr, who were threats to sailors at the time. These two beasts are believed to be the early representations of the Kraken

Returning to the film, it serves as a harsh indictment of humanity because, once again, it is humans who initiate ecological destruction. With technology, we create innovations to produce a “perfect” product. But in my opinion, nature does not always align with technology. Nature has its own soul and rhythm, and the presence of humans and technology often disrupts it. The Kraken, peacefully “asleep” at the bottom of Sognefjord, is disturbed by the frequency of a device called Sonic Lice, a tool used to drive parasites off salmon. It’s no surprise that this frequency awakens the monster.

I understand that the director wanted to build tension and mystery around the monster slowly. However, the pacing is fairly slow until the midpoint, and the goal is clear: to explain the origin of the monster’s awakening. As we reach the middle of the film, the Kraken gradually reveals itself. I commend the visuals, because the Kraken looks genuinely real and threatening. Supported by excellent sound design, the film’s tension rises significantly.

That said, I do take issue with the film’s logic. It’s common, of course, for thrillers to include foolish or illogical actions. Despite strong visuals and atmosphere, the characters themselves make the film feel flat. I have a few points: First, if they already know something massive is down there, why not shut the device off immediately? Erik himself knows that the high frequency of Sonic Lice is what enraged the monster. Second, if you’re in a life-or-death situation, would you really wait for your boss to arrive and make a decision? Third, at the end, why does Johanne try to fight a god-level monster instead of doing something simple, like running away from the area and letting the Kraken destroy it? The result… well, you’ll see.

But despite my criticisms above, I found the film satisfying. The Kraken is not portrayed as excessive or cartoonish. Instead, it is depicted as a majestic being that embodies the guardian of oceanic balance. Humans are given freedom to manage the sea, but if we cross the line, be prepared for the “guardian” to rise to the surface and unleash its wrath. En veldig god film!

For me this one is 7.5/10.

Knowledge Center:

For centuries, Norse sailors feared a floating island that was not an island at all. When it woke, the sea boiled, the whirlpool opened, and no ship ever returned. Was it a monster, a giant squid, or just the ocean reminding us how small we are? The Kraken is not just a legend. It is the fear of the deep itself.

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The Kraken is the ruler of the sea. For hundreds of years, sailors from Norway, Iceland, and Greenland lived with the same fear. In the middle of a calm sea, suddenly an island appeared that was not on the map. That island was alive and its name was the Kraken. Let us briefly discuss one of the scariest monsters in the ocean in the KC column.

The word Kraken comes from the old Norwegian language, kraki, which means something crooked, curved, or a bent ship's mast. But some also say it comes from the word krake, which means an ugly or imperfect animal. In essence, its name alone already describes something that should not exist. In modern Norwegian, Kraken can also mean octopus. And that is no coincidence.

The story of the Kraken first appeared in the tales of Scandinavian sailors around the 12th and 13th centuries. In an ancient Icelandic manuscript called Konungs skuggsjá or The King's Mirror (around the year 1250), it is told that there were two giant sea monsters: Hafgufa and Lyngbakr. Lyngbakr was a monster that looked like an island overgrown with trees. Exhausted sailors would pull up to that island to rest. When they started to make a campfire, the island would suddenly dive and drown them all. Hafgufa was an even more terrifying monster. It could open its mouth so wide that it looked like a chasm in the middle of the sea. Fish would swim into its mouth by themselves, and ships that got too close would be sucked in as well. From these two monsters, the legend of the Kraken was born and merged.

The legend of the Kraken became even more famous in 1755, when a Norwegian bishop and naturalist named Erik Pontoppidan wrote the book Natural History of Norway. Pontoppidan wrote very seriously, as if the Kraken were a real animal. He said, the Kraken was a creature the size of a floating island. Its back could reach 1.5 miles or about 2.4 kilometers. When it surfaced, the sea water would boil and foam. And when it dived back down, it would create a giant whirlpool that could sink any ship. Pontoppidan also said, the Kraken had giant tentacles that could reach the tallest ship's mast and pull the ship to the bottom of the sea. Because the book was written by a respected bishop, many Europeans at that time believed the Kraken really existed.

Now we know, the Kraken may not be one monster, but a combination of several real sea phenomena misunderstood by sailors of the past:

• Giant Squid. This is the strongest theory. The giant squid Architeuthis dux can grow up to 13 meters. The colossal squid Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni can be even bigger and heavier. For hundreds of years, humans never saw it alive. What they found were only its carcasses stranded on the beaches of Norway and Newfoundland, with giant tentacles and eyes as big as plates. Imagine you are a 15th-century sailor, seeing a carcass like that. Of course you would think there was a giant monster in the sea.
• Giant Pacific Octopus. The Giant Pacific Octopus can have an arm span of up to 9 meters. Although not as big as the Kraken in the legend, it is enough to make sailors panic.
• Maelstrom Whirlpool. Off the coast of Norway there is a giant whirlpool called Moskstraumen or Maelstrom. This whirlpool can sink small ships. Sailors of the past thought the whirlpool was created by the Kraken diving.
• Sperm Whales and Other Giant Whales. When a whale surfaces, its back looks like a small island. When the whale spouts and dives, the water around it churns. Very similar to the description of the Kraken.

So, the Kraken was the way sailors of the past explained things they could not yet understand. The sea is dark, deep, and mysterious. The Kraken is the name for that fear.

The Kraken never died. It only changed its form into new stories:

• 1830: English poet Alfred Tennyson wrote the poem The Kraken, describing the Kraken sleeping at the bottom of the sea for thousands of years, dreaming, waiting for doomsday.
• 1870: Jules Verne wrote 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, where the submarine Nautilus is attacked by giant squid.
• 1981 & 2010: The film Clashof the Titans created the legendary jargon, "Release the Kraken!"
• 2006: The film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest featured the Kraken as Davy Jones' pet monster, with giant tentacles destroying the Black Pearl ship. This is the version of the Kraken most known to the current generation.
• Now: The Kraken appears in games, the logo of the NHL hockey team Seattle Kraken, to become the name of drinks and rum brands.

From a monster feared by Viking sailors, the Kraken has changed into a symbol of the power of the sea that cannot be controlled by humans.

Just like Boiúna in the Amazon, the Kraken is a warning. The sea covers 71% of the earth's surface, but humans have only explored less than 5% of its seabed. We know more about the surface of the moon than about our own seabed. The Kraken reminds us that there are things down there that are bigger, older, and stronger than us. And maybe, it is better that we do not disturb them. If one day you sail in the North Sea and see a small island that is not on the map, which suddenly moves. Do not pull over! Do not make a campfire! Turn your ship around. Because it could be, that is not an island. It is him waking up from his sleep.