Review: THE NORTHMAN Is a Beautifully Ferocious Viking Revenge Film

Does director Robert Eggers’ Viking revenge thriller, The Northman, actually live up to the hype? Yes! Yes, it does! I’m a fan of Eggers’ film work and his filmmaking style, and when I first learned that he was making a Viking movie, I knew it was going to be something incredible, unique, and special. I knew he was going to deliver a visually stunning film and tell a dark, ferocious, and poetic story, and that’s exactly what he delivered with The Northman.

I was completely engulfed in the story that the film told, which is set at the turn of the 10th century in Iceland. In the movie, a young Viking prince witnesses his father being murdered by his uncle. When he escapes, he vows to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill his uncle. On his journey, he makes alliances and makes his uncle’s life a living hell.

I won’t go into any other details as the story has some unexpected twists and turns, but it all leads to an epic naked sword fight on an erupting volcano! While the story is gritty, dark, and bloody brutal, it’s a beautifully made film, and I loved the poetic way in which the story was told. I was also impressed by the crazy attention to detail that Eggers and his creative production team put into the creation of the film. The sets, the locations, and the costumes were incredible. The movie also depicts Vikings with authenticity and brutal accuracy with their rituals, weapons, armor, and more.

Eggers didn’t shy away from the insane violence that this film portrays. This film features some haunting and grotesque visuals that are sure to linger in your mind after you walk out of the theater. I’ll tell you, the night after I saw the film I had a pretty crazy-ass nightmare that was no doubt sparked by the haunting visuals of this movie. One other thing I liked about the movie is how it incorporated fantasy elements into the story.

Alexander Skarsgård takes on the lead role in the film and he gave a rabid and beastly performance! He was awesome in the film and you can see the filmmaker pushed his actors to just go completely wild. Skarsgard, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe were completely unhinged in this movie and it was quite a sight to see.

The cast in the film also includes Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Björk, and Claes Bang and they all gave incredibly insane performances. Every freakin’ actor in this film, including some of the side characters that are only in it for one or two scenes, is truly impressive.

I also want to point out the music that was created and used for the film, it was so bold and haunting. The music was created by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough, and what they delivered is bowel-shuddering, piercing, and nightmarish. I freakin’ love it and it did an amazing job of setting the mood for the film and the story that was being told.

The Northman is one of my favorite films of the year! It is a great movie and I’m looking forward to seeing it again. If you haven’t watched it yet, get out there and see it! It quite an incredible movie-going experience.