Troll
When a family moves into a San Francisco apartment, an opportunistic troll decides to make his move and take possession of little Wendy, thereby paving the way for new troll recruits, the first in his army that will take eventual control of the planet. We soon discover Torok is the ex-husband of Eunice St. Clair, a resident in the building who was married to Torok.
Despite its tight budget of $1.1M, Troll became a solid performer, earning $5.5M worldwide—a 396% return. The film's unconventional structure connected with viewers, demonstrating that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Troll (1986) demonstrates carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of John Carl Buechler's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 23 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Harry Potter Jr.
Wendy Anne Potter
Eunice St. Clair
Torok the Troll
Harry Potter Sr.
Anne Potter
Main Cast & Characters
Harry Potter Jr.
Played by Noah Hathaway
A young boy who discovers a troll has possessed his sister and is transforming the apartment building into a magical realm.
Wendy Anne Potter
Played by Jenny Beck
Harry's younger sister who becomes possessed by the evil troll Torok.
Eunice St. Clair
Played by June Lockhart
An elderly witch and former princess who provides guidance and magical knowledge to help defeat the troll.
Torok the Troll
Played by Phil Fondacaro
The ancient evil troll who possesses Wendy Anne and seeks to transform the world into a magical kingdom under his rule.
Harry Potter Sr.
Played by Michael Moriarty
The father of the Potter family who remains oblivious to the supernatural threat in their building.
Anne Potter
Played by Shelley Hack
The mother of the Potter family who struggles to understand her daughter's strange behavior.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Potter family arrives at their new San Francisco apartment building, beginning their ordinary life in a new home with young Harry excited about the move.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Torok the troll possesses young Wendy Anne Potter, taking her form and beginning his sinister plan to transform the apartment building into a fairy kingdom.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 20 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Harry actively commits to investigating the mystery after witnessing undeniable evidence of magic and realizing his sister has been replaced by something evil., moving from reaction to action.
At 42 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Torok completes enough transformations that the magical world begins breaking through into reality, raising the stakes as the building's inhabitants face increasing danger., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 63 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Eunice St. Clair sacrifices herself in battle against Torok, leaving Harry alone without his mentor and the magical invasion nearly complete., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 67 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Harry realizes he must use the magic Eunice taught him and embraces his role as the building's defender, combining courage with magical knowledge to face Torok., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Troll's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Troll against these established plot points, we can identify how John Carl Buechler utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Troll within the fantasy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional fantasy films include Thinner, Ella Enchanted and Conan the Barbarian.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Potter family arrives at their new San Francisco apartment building, beginning their ordinary life in a new home with young Harry excited about the move.
Theme
Eunice St. Clair warns about the building's strange history and the importance of protecting one's home and family, hinting at the conflict between the mundane world and magical threats.
Worldbuilding
The Potter family settles into their apartment building, meeting eccentric neighbors including Eunice St. Clair, Malcolm Mallory, and others, establishing the quirky community dynamics.
Disruption
Torok the troll possesses young Wendy Anne Potter, taking her form and beginning his sinister plan to transform the apartment building into a fairy kingdom.
Resistance
Harry notices his sister's strange behavior and investigates, while Torok-as-Wendy begins transforming apartments one by one, creating magical fairy tale worlds behind each door.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Harry actively commits to investigating the mystery after witnessing undeniable evidence of magic and realizing his sister has been replaced by something evil.
Mirror World
Harry meets Eunice St. Clair, who reveals herself as a former fairy princess and becomes his mentor in understanding the magical threat facing the building.
Premise
Harry learns about magic and the fairy world from Eunice while Torok continues transforming apartments into fantasy realms, escalating the magical invasion of the building.
Midpoint
Torok completes enough transformations that the magical world begins breaking through into reality, raising the stakes as the building's inhabitants face increasing danger.
Opposition
The magical transformations accelerate and neighbors begin disappearing or transforming, while Harry struggles to convince his parents of the danger and Torok's power grows stronger.
Collapse
Eunice St. Clair sacrifices herself in battle against Torok, leaving Harry alone without his mentor and the magical invasion nearly complete.
Crisis
Harry mourns the loss of Eunice and faces the seeming impossibility of stopping Torok alone as the entire building transforms into a fairy kingdom.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Harry realizes he must use the magic Eunice taught him and embraces his role as the building's defender, combining courage with magical knowledge to face Torok.
Synthesis
Harry confronts Torok in a magical battle, using the spells and wisdom Eunice taught him to defeat the troll and reverse the transformations, saving his sister and the building.
Transformation
The building returns to normal with Wendy Anne restored, but Harry has grown from an ordinary boy into a hero who understands the hidden magical world, forever changed by his experience.