The Northman is a revenge story, set in the Viking ages. A young prince’s father gets murdered, and he vows to avenge his death and save his kidnapped mother, no matter how long it takes. This film is directed by Robert Eggers, who made The Witch and The Lighthouse.
The Northman is led by Alexander Skarsgård, who transforms himself into a true Viking to play Prince Amleth. Skarsgård shines here and shows off every form of acting in this taxing role. He brilliantly weaves between brute strength and emotion to give a fantastic performance. This movie’s cast is stacked with great actors for to fill out the lesser characters. The cast includes Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy and more. All of which are at the top of their games, giving performances that fit this world perfectly.
Robert Eggers has given us a beautiful film to look at. The cinematography and story blend together seamlessly, which helps the audience feel like they are a part of the world. While this film is a slow burn, it’s jolts of action and magic keep the audience guessing of what my lie ahead.
The Northman is absolutely brutal. If I had to compare it to something, it feels like a mixture of The Green Knight and The Revenant. Artistic, but also grounded in the trenches of this world. While the action sometimes feels as if it’s in slow motion, the heavy and brutal attacks between characters make sense for the world.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Northman. I love to see A-list actors allow themselves to be thrown into the trenches to make a movie, and every actor on the call sheet had to sign up for that on this film. It’s dark, wet, cold, and depressing to have lived during those times, and I think everyone involved executed things brilliantly.
'The Northman' will be in theaters April 22nd, 2022.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Logan Wischmeier (Contributing Editor) is a Texas native and a massive fan of all genres of film. You can find him talking about movies on YouTube or in line for the latest Star Wars/Comic Book film.Click Here to check out Logan's Articles.