Movie Review - The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers
Genre: Drama/ Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 137 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe
 
Description: Young Viking prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) is on a quest to avenge his father’s (Ethan Hawke) murder)

Review: At an early age, the Viking prince Amleth witnesses a dramatic event: his father, King Aurvandil, is brutally murdered by Uncle Fjölnir. Crying and enraged at the same time, Amleth flees across the sea in a rowboat. And he has one goal: avenge his father by killing Fjölnir.

So begins “The Northman”, an unprecedentedly brutal revenge epic by director Robert Eggers. The American director and screenwriter previously made the arthouse gems “The Withc” and “The Lighthouse”, both movies I loved. And what was true for those film, is also true for “The Northman”: it’s not a movie for everyone and it’s not for the faint of heart.

“The Northman” has become, in every fiver, a faithful Eggers film, in which folklore, occultism, bloodshed, and other unmitigated horror merge like iron in a furnace of fire. The story is fairly straightforward and has its origins in exactly the same source as William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”: the Scandinavian legend “Amleth of Jutland”. But there are also echoes of movies like “Gladiator” and “Conan: The Barbarian”.

Alexander Skarsgård plays the main character Amleth and is clearly in his element here. Amleth’s quest for revenge begins at one point to take on such grotesque proportions that you gradually begin to wonder whether his mission is still justified. This is a very clever achievement, because judging from the king’s murder scene you would say: yes, of course. But it’s not quite as simple as that in the end in “The Northman”, as perspectives can be blurred. Nicole Kidman is the other actor to watch in this film. She plays Amleth’s mother and she is wicked! There is especially one scene that she was so good in, I was watching it with my jaw dropping to the floor. Such a strong performance.

So far, 2022 isn’t the best movie year. And I will be giving “The Northman” the first perfect rating of the year. This will definitely be on my favorites list at the end of the year. And even if it’s not your cup of tea, “The Northman” will be seen as one of the best films of 2022 by critics, and I totally agree.

Rating: 5/ 5