There’s Something in the Barn is a 2023 Christmas horror-comedy set in Norway, directed by Magnus Martens and written by Aleksander Kirkwood Brown. The film follows an American family who move into an inherited Norwegian farmhouse, only to discover the barn is home to a murderous, ancient Norwegian Christmas elf (a “nisse”) with strict house rules. It plays like a mashup of Gremlins, Home Alone, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and its score leans hard into that tonal mix of Scandinavian folk melody, 1980s-style holiday warmth, and horror-movie menace.
Quick Facts
| Film | There’s Something in the Barn (2023) |
| Director | Magnus Martens |
| Writer | Aleksander Kirkwood Brown |
| Genre | Christmas horror-comedy |
| Composer | Lasse Enersen |
| Main Cast | Martin Starr, Amrita Acharia, Zoe Winter-Hansen, Townes Bunner, Henriette Steenstrup |
| Premiere | Fantastic Fest, September 23, 2023 |
| Theatrical / VOD Release | Limited theaters November 10, 2023; digital/streaming December 5, 2023 |
| Score Album Label | MovieScore Media (released December 1, 2023) |
Who Composed the There’s Something in the Barn Score?
Lasse Enersen composed the score. Enersen began his film-composing career on international documentary features before scoring his first fiction feature, Aku Louhimies’ Unknown Soldier. For this film, director Magnus Martens asked him for “a family-friendly horror score that combines Scandinavian folk music, horror music, and 1980s Hollywood Christmas film music.” The barn elf’s musical theme is actually built on “På låven sitter nissen,å a well-known traditional Norwegian children’s Christmas song (its title translates to “The Elf Sits in the Barn”) – but twisted from its cheerful original into a menacing horror version for the film.
Every Song (by Scene)
| Cue | Notes |
| There’s Something in the Barn | Main title theme |
| Americans in Norway | The family’s arrival and culture-shock introduction |
| The Barn | First exploration of the barn |
| Nisseland Tales | Norwegian folklore / nisse backstory |
| Ho Ho Ho, Police | Comic law-enforcement cue |
| The Fiery Uncle | Character theme |
| Christmas Lights | Holiday decorating montage |
| First Elf Encounter | The family’s first run-in with the nisse |
| Inflatable Santa | Comic set-piece cue |
| Disturbance in the Kitchen | Horror-comedy chaos cue |
| Drunken Santa | Comic cue |
| Angry Elves | Escalating creature action |
| Fighting Elves | Action set piece |
| Drunken Elves | Comic action cue |
| Fireplace Gremlins | Creature-horror cue |
| Sleddin’ | Chase/action cue |
| This Isn’t Detroit, Bill | Character/comic cue |
| A Good Christmas? | Closing theme |
This 18-track cue list matches the official There’s Something in the Barn (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) album released by MovieScore Media.
Where to Stream
Lasse Enersen’s score is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music. The film itself streams on Netflix and Shudder, and is available to rent or buy digitally on Apple TV and Amazon.
Cast
- Martin Starr as Bill
- Amrita Acharia as Carol
- Zoe Winter-Hansen as Nora
- Townes Bunner as Lucas
- Henriette Steenstrup
- Kiran Shah
- Calle Hellevang-Larsen
- Paul Monaghan
- Jeppe Beck Larsen
There’s Something in the Barn premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 23, 2023, and had a limited theatrical release beginning November 10, 2023, before arriving on digital and streaming platforms on December 5, 2023.
(External Link: There’s Something in the Barn Soundtrack)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for There’s Something in the Barn?
Norwegian composer Lasse Enersen scored the film, blending Scandinavian folk melody, 1980s-style holiday warmth, and horror-movie tension at the director’s request.
Is the barn elf’s theme based on a real song?
Yes. It’s built on “På låven sitter nissen,å a traditional Norwegian children’s Christmas carol, reworked into a darker, horror-tinged version for the film.
How many tracks are on the official score album?
The MovieScore Media release contains 18 cues, running roughly 54 minutes, released December 1, 2023.
Where can I watch There’s Something in the Barn?
The film is available to stream on Netflix and Shudder, and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon, after a limited theatrical run in November 2023.
What is There’s Something in the Barn about?
An American family inherits a farmhouse in Norway and moves in hoping to turn the barn into a bed and breakfast, only to discover a mischievous and violent barn-dwelling elf from Norwegian folklore living inside it, bound by rules the family must follow to survive.
Related reading: Movie Soundtrack Hub | Netflix | Streaming Hub