Review: The Northman

Avenge father. Save mother. Kill uncle. You’ve heard it in the trailers, but did visionary director Robert Eggers create a stunning Viking Revenge story? Or is it just blah. 

The Northman is based on a true story that inspired Hamlet. And that comes across in Eggers’s tale. In fact, for the film to make more sense, you should go into this thinking it is a Shakespeare play. 

A young prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) Witnesses the mutiny and murder of his father (Ethan Hawke) and the enslavement of his mother (Nicole Kidman), all at the hands of his uncle (Claes Bang). As he runs for his life, he vows, “Avenge father. Save mother. Kill uncle.” 

Years later, Amleth turns into a savage state, pillaging villages and selling people as slaves. When he is reminded of his purpose, he stows away, meeting Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), who becomes his one and only confidant. 

The Northman is, in a word, brutal. It spares no expense when it comes to blood and gore. It is also very artsy and emotionally shocking. To be quite honest, it’s a hard film to process. While watching, you are intrigued and entertained but also confused and disgusted. The Northman is also extremely long. 

Its main problem is you feel the run time. I checked my watch a few times during the film, something I never do. The story in itself is good and, for the most part, stays accurate to the time period. It does, however, have a Shakespearean element that makes it seem more mythical. 

Skarsgård is a beast in this movie. From his physicality to his whole persona. He plays it well and is entirely believable. Anya Taylor-Joy has an ethereal screen presence and is truly captivating. Together their chemistry is off the charts. Singer Bjork’s creepy and cool cameo feels like something right off the page of a Shakespeare play. I was most disappointed in Kidman’s performance. Nothing stood out, and I felt like her character could have been played easily by someone else. 

The film is visually stunning. It looks great on the big screen, and if you want to watch this movie, I highly suggest you do it in an IMAX theater. The battle scenes are incredible yet grotesque. There is one stunning long take that is truly epic. 

The Northman is an “art film” and sometimes feels like it is trying too hard. This is a picture screaming, “Hey, look at me! I’m an epic, artsy, action movie!” At the Hollywood Foreign Press. The Northman is brutal and beautiful. It does have fantastic acting and a good story, but it is also excruciatingly long.