Trolls (2016)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A group of colorful, musical Trolls must team up with an unlikely ally to escape the clutches of the Bergens.
The story
Trolls are small, colorful, perpetually happy creatures who love to sing, dance, and hug. They are hunted by the Bergens, large and miserable creatures who believe they can only find happiness by consuming a Troll. When the Bergens' chef discovers the Trolls have escaped their cage, she begins a hunt to find them. Twenty years later, Princess Poppy organizes a massive celebration for their escape, despite warnings from a cautious, gray Troll named Branch. When the celebration's fireworks alert the Bergens, the Trolls are captured, and Poppy must embark on a perilous journey to rescue her friends and find a way to bring peace to both species.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Trolls are small, colorful creatures who are hunted by the Bergens, who believe they can only find happiness by eating them. After the Trolls escape their cage, a vengeful chef hunts them down. Twenty years later, Princess Poppy throws a party that alerts the Bergens, leading to the kidnapping of her friends. Poppy teams up with the survivalist Branch to navigate Bergen Town and rescue them. They discover a scullery maid, Bridget, who is in love with the Bergen King, Gristle Jr. The Trolls help her win a date in exchange for information on their captives. During the mission, Branch reveals his past: his loud singing once led the chef to his home, causing him to lose his color and become a recluse. After a series of mishaps and a betrayal by a 'zen' troll named Creek, the Trolls are captured. However, Bridget secretly releases them. Poppy and the Trolls then reveal Bridget's true identity to the Berges, showing them that they can find happiness within themselves without consuming Trolls. The two groups celebrate together, and the chef is banished.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Mitchell
- Writers
- Jonathan Aibel · screenplay; Glenn Berger · screenplay; Erica Rivinoja · story
- Cast and characters
- Anna Kendrick · Poppy; Justin Timberlake · Branch; Zooey Deschanel · Bridget; Christopher Mintz-Plasse · King Gristle, son of King Gristle Sr.; Christine Baranski · Chef; Russell Brand · Creek; Gwen Stefani · DJ Suki; John Cleese · King Gristle Sr.
- Genres
- animated; musical; comedy
- Themes
- happiness; friendship; self-acceptance
- Tone and mood
- vibrant; musical; comedic
- Setting
- A vibrant, colorful world of Trolls and the nearby Bergen Town.
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; fantasy; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Good Luck Trolls doll line
- Franchise connections
- Trolls
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was well-received by audiences.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 76% · scale: percentage · review count: 165; Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 32; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 80% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Grammy Award · Best Song Written for Visual Media · win; Academy Award · Best Original Song for "Can't Stop the Feeling!" · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was based on the Good Luck Trolls doll line.; The film's music was executive produced by Justin Timberlake.; The film was released in a three-movie pack in 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…