[Brooklyn Horror Film Fest 2026]: Mountain King

Hannah Deale as Hannah

Set amongst the frozen snowy tundra forests of Sweden is Gabrielle Christensen’s folk horror Mountain King. Following an American woman who travels to Sweden in order to make amends with her Swedish boyfriend after refusing his proposal, and learning first hand that in-laws can be hell.

Hannah (played by Hannah Deale) arrives at her boyfriend Gregor’s (Carter Sirianni) family home in order to declare her love for him after turning down his proposal, but Gregor seems perturbed about Hannah meeting his parents. Despite this, Hannah is welcomed with open arms by both his parents who are keen to involve Hannah in their traditional Yule celebrations. However, as Hannah learns more about Swedish folklore and traditional customs, she becomes more aware that Gregor and his family are hiding a monstrous secret that may put her life at risk.

Based on Scandinavian folklore of old Gods and ancient giants, Mountain King initially sets itself up as a cutesy festive rom-com in which a slick city girl must travel to a wild and expansive foreign land in order to win back her love, before it soon descends into full on horror and a fight for survival. Hannah Deale plays the main character as a stereotypical romantic comedy leading lady, with little quips and doe eyes, naively digging herself deeper and deeper towards danger.

When the darkness falls and the authentic faces of Gregor’s family are revealed, the creature design does shine, despite the film’s low budget. Unfortunately this reveal feels a little too late, with the final sequence feeling slightly rushed and coming to no real conclusion, with more attention being paid to a Meet The Parents (2000) style setup.

2.5 Screams out of 5