Kraken

Plot

Marine researcher Johanne is sent to investigate a series of unusual incidents at a salmon farming facility located deep within a Norwegian fjord. The area has recently suffered unexplained problems: fish are behaving strangely, underwater equipment has been damaged, and local workers report unusual disturbances coming from the depths. Although many dismiss the incidents as technical faults or natural causes, Johanne suspects there is something unusual occurring beneath the water.

While examining the fjord, Johanne learns about old local stories describing a monstrous creature that once inhabited the area — the Kraken. According to legend, the creature was not simply a myth but an ancient predator that lived far below the surface, rarely interacting with humans. The stories suggest the creature was feared by generations of fishermen, who believed it could drag entire ships beneath the waves.

The situation escalates when two teenagers disappear after being out near the water. Their deaths cannot be explained by normal marine predators, and the scale of the damage suggests something far larger is responsible. Johanne begins comparing the evidence from the attacks with the strange activity recorded at the salmon farm and starts to believe that the creature from the legends may actually exist.

Further investigation reveals that expansion of the fish farming operation and human interference in the fjord may have disturbed the Kraken’s habitat. Noise, construction, and underwater equipment have affected an area of the seabed that had remained untouched for centuries. Rather than being a mindless monster, the creature appears to be reacting aggressively after being forced into contact with humans.

As attacks increase, panic spreads through the community. Boats are destroyed, people disappear, and attempts to locate the creature reveal its enormous size and intelligence. The Kraken is shown to be a powerful deep-sea animal capable of hiding in the darkness, attacking without warning, and using its tentacles to overwhelm anything on the surface.

Johanne tries to convince officials that conventional responses will not work, but many initially refuse to believe that a legendary creature is responsible. As more evidence emerges, the authorities organise an attempt to track and stop the creature before it reaches more populated waters.

The final confrontation occurs in the fjord as Johanne and others attempt to lure the Kraken away and prevent further destruction. They discover that the creature is not acting out of simple aggression but as a defensive response to humans invading its territory. The battle becomes not only a fight for survival but a question of whether humanity has the right to destroy something ancient simply because it has become inconvenient.

Johanne places a sonic boom in the water but she is grabbed by the monster and falls out of the boat. When the Kraken pulls her under the water she is face to face with it and sees something in its eyes. When the sonic boom explodes, the Kraken loosens its grip of Johanne. The blast successfully kills the Kraken.

Erik, Maria and Henriette paddle to meet Olav who has pulled Johanne from the water and Erik cuddles her crying.

One year later, we see Maria in her boat that she has named Johanne placing a rose into the water and thinking about Johanne saying that only 5% of the world's waters have been explored and that it is probably better that way as humans are left with a greater understanding of the hidden world beneath the ocean and the consequences of disrupting environments that humans do not fully understand. The legend of the Kraken is revealed to have been based on truth all along — a creature that had remained hidden for generations until mankind awakened it.

As we go under the water again, to an underwater trench, we see an enormous, translucent egg. Inside the glowing membrane is a shadow of a slowly wriggly creature that looks like a smaller version of the Kraken, implying that the Kraken was protecting its offspring all along.

Cast

Sara Khorami as Johanne

Mikkel Bratt Silset as Erik

Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes as Henriette

Øyvind Brandtzæg as Avaldsnes

Jenny Evensen as Maria

Steinar Klouman Hallert as Cato

Filip Bargee Ramberg as Hallvard

Hans Morten Hansen as Olav

Jon Erik Myre as Georg

Silje Breivik as Vigdis

Anderz Eide as Kayakinstruktør

Jon Kennedy Dushime Niyokindi as Tommy

Magnús Blöndal Jóhannsson as Preben

Einar Haraldsson as Tim

Production

Kraken was directed by Pål Øie, known for the 2019 disaster film The Tunnel. The screenplay was written by Vilde Eide, with additional writing by Kjersti Helen Rasmussen and Natasha Arthur. It was produced by Nordisk Film Production’s John Einar Hagen and Einar Loftesnes in collaboration with Handmade Films in Norwegian Woods, a company specializing in genre titles based on Norwegian folklore. The budget was €5.3 million. TrustNordisk acquired international sales rights. Samuel Goldwyn Films handles U.S. distribution.

The film was shot in Lohja, Finland. Principal photography took place in Norwegian fjords, utilizing a mix of aerial, underwater, and practical effects to depict the creature.

Release

The film originally set for release in 2025 but was later postponed and was premiered at Tromsø International Film Festival on January 23, 2026, Gothenburg Film Festival on January 29, 2026, Oslo Premiere on February 6, 2026, Monster of Film on March 22, 2026, Night Visions Film Festival on March 27, 2026, and was also screened at Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival on April 12, 2026.

The film was also released in Sweden on May 1, 2026, Philippines on May 13, 2026, under 888 Films International, and scheduled to release in Germany on July 23, 2026. However, Samuel Goldwyn Films still hasn't announced any date for the release in the United States.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 36 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.30/10. The website's consensus reads: "Kraken rewards patient viewers with impressive creature-feature spectacle and mounting tension, even if its deliberate buildup and well-worn storytelling dilute the impact of its strongest moments."

Grant Hermanns of Screen Rant gave the film a rating of 7 out of 10 and wrote: It may not go down in history the way Jaws and Godzilla did, but Kraken has largely learned the right lessons from its genre predecessors to make for an enjoyable time.

John Townsend of Starburst gave the film 3 out of 5 rating and positive feedback and wrote: Ultimately, Kraken does what it sets out to do, delivering a warning on the risks of ecological tampering using a giant monster as the conduit.

Phil Hoad of The Guardian also gave the film a positive feedback and a rating of 3 out of 5 stars and he wrote: The characterisation is correspondingly lightweight, but Khorami has a calming, earth mother-type presence that renders this eco lecture-cum-rampage strangely palatable.

However, Chad Collins of Dread Central gave the film a negative feedback and a rating of 2.5 out of 5 and he said: Norwegian creature feature Kraken delivers a few Kaiju-sized thrills, but it’s too indebted to yesterday’s blockbusters to soar.

Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting gave the same rating on the film and she said: While handsomely crafted, Kraken better serves its didactic messaging than its monster.

Michael Gingold of Rue Morgue also gave the film a negative review and wrote: It’s nearly an hour into this 90-minute film before [the monster] truly makes the scene... Instead, KRAKEN is content to send its characters through motions similar to those of many past movies of the same species.