Directed by:
Robert EggersCinematography:
Jarin BlaschkeCast:
Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Willem Dafoe, Phill Martin, Eldar Skar, Olwen Fouéré, Edgar Abram (more)VOD (4)
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From visionary director Robert Eggers comes The Northman, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father's murder. (Universal Pictures US)
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Reviews (19)
Eggers’s take on Hamlet conceived as Conan the Barbarian with a bit of Norse mythology thrown in. This also describes the reason that The Northman is fascinating and why, at the same time, it doesn’t achieve the aura of revelation like the director’s previous two films. Whereas The Witch and The Lighthouse were supremely distinctive and original works, The Northman remains a variation on a familiar story. Therefore, viewers may be less absorbed in the narrative and less impressed by the wow effect that they would get from watching something essentially new and more aware of the finesse of execution and adaptive shifts. On the other hand, Eggers’s formalistic signature – from the well-thought-out long shots to the expressive design – is awe-inspiring in and of itself. The film also successfully evokes intense physical experiences by drawing viewers into a world of pagan mythology and merciless brutality. Eggers has stripped Hamlet of its Shakespearean literal insight into the protagonist, but that doesn’t mean that he has dispensed with its tragic or even topical elements. The fatal flaw of his Prince Amleth does not consist in the character’s indecision or any other character trait. Eggers bases his narrative on the contrast between personal will and supposed predestination, which he reveals as an extended arm of the patriarchy as a system of hereditary egocentrism built on self-destructive ideals of masculinity. These are motifs that Eggers had already explored in his previous films, though it is necessary to recognise that he depicted them there in more dreadful and disturbing outlines.
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A distinctive creative vision. A dark, brooding historical fresco full of evil, prophecy, violence and pagan gods. Formally, everything is fine, script-wise and dramaturgically it is not so well put together. Some story twists and character motives are insufficiently explained and grasped, so the attempt at an artsy historical drama doesn't quite work, although it should be noted that it is presented in an unusually bold, uncompromisingly dark way, with no shortage of violence and brutality. But that alone is not enough.
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I was a little wary of The Northman. I found Robert Eggers's previous films interesting rather than really good, and I was worried that in the case of his new film, the trailers might lie and that the result would be torn between an attempt at epic Viking carnage and a not entirely accessible auteur style. But my worries were unwarranted. Eggers has kept himself very much in check as an artist and auteur in an unexpected way, and The Northman is a very audience-friendly film. There's not much room for any interpretations of images, dialogue or anything else; it's much more about the Viking carnage, which is quite simple at its core, and its creator is aware of that. If you accept the fact that Eggers simply wanted to revive a legend of betrayal and revenge, and more than anything else he was interested in showing the cruel world of the Vikings on screen and having a good time audiovisually, you'll be satisfied. Or maybe you'll be thrilled like me. Musically, it's a treat, the one-shot scenes of the attack of the town, with dozens of people dying and blood spurting, made my jaw drop to the floor, because it must have been a mad dash to think this up and organise it to work. But the result is worth it. There's nothing to fault the actors either, and the fantasy elements are inserted into the plot in a non-violent way and fit in perfectly naturally in a wild world full of strange rituals. I really enjoyed the two and a quarter hours. However, I can imagine that fans of The Lighthouse will be a little upset by this actually unexpectedly audience-friendly film. Personally, though, I haven't seen anything better than The Northman so far this year.
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Phenomenal! The Northman is an instant favourite of mine, the movie of the year, the best Viking movie, and quite possibly the best revenge movie all rolled into one! After the intimate The Witch and The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers delivers his first big-budget film for 90 million USD and it's the very definition of Art meets Spectacle. Eggers is awesome, what he can do with a bigger budget is unreal and I'm very curious to see if he chooses horror next time or tries something else – without a doubt, Wan, Peele, Eggers, and Aster are the new Cronenberg, Carpenter, Raimi, and Craven. The Northman grabbed me by the balls from the first minute and held them for the entire 140 minutes runtime, only letting them go during the closing credits – it's been a long time since I've forgotten to breathe, lost track of time, forgotten my name, and magically transported myself to the absolute unknown of abstraction. A transcendent Viking experience that is second to none. Vikings feels like an appetizer compared to The Northman. The Last Kingdom, which was my previous favourite not only of Vikings but of the historical genre in general, has now been dethroned by The Northman. (The Northman even has a touch of LoTR in certain scenes). The Northman is divided into several chapters where we follow Alexander Skarsgård (in the role of a lifetime!!) as he plots his fateful revenge for the death of his father. Revenge has never tasted sweeter. The acting is without a doubt riveting and Oscar-worthy. The tricky Nicole Kidman is solid, Skarsgård is of course the devil, Anya Taylor-Joy only confirms her position as the best young actress of our time, and Claes Bang is a badass as it should be. The film has breathtaking audiovisuals (Dune comes across as kitsch compared to this), it has a very haunting atmosphere, and, most importantly I believed everything Eggers presented (I believe he studied a lot of material), but filming life in that era so realistically, hats off to him. The magical-witch-mystical rituals with an almost horror touch were downright divine (preparing a son for the position of future king, WOW!), and of course there are Valkyries and the best cinematically depicted entrance to Valhalla! When it came to the action, that's where my jaw dropped (I want to re-watch every single scene). Admittedly, there's no proper epic battle (the Christians are completely ignored) and Skarsgård hunts or less solo in stealth mode, but it's properly raw, brutal, uncompromising and dark to the core. There's quite possibly the best gut out scene ever, and the scene where they build a sort of Viking symbol out of various limbs, heads and bodies, almost had me screaming in the cinema. To my supreme satisfaction, I would of course take another half hour and include maybe the conquest of Paris or Mercia or a naval battle, but that's too much to ask of Eggers. Either way I'm ready to go see the film again and I'm looking forward to a second screening tremendously. Story 4/5. Action 5/5, Humor 1/5, Violence 5/5, Fun 5/5 Music 5/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 5/5, Suspense 5/5, Emotion 4/5, Actors 5/5. 10/10.
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Fortunately, the big-studio system hasn't ground Robert Eggers down; despite the higher budget he has remained his own, uninhibited and original, although I think that of his three films so far this one is probably the least interesting. The narrative is not exactly flawless, especially in the middle part the story drags a lot, as if it doesn't know which way to go, but thank Odin it catches its breath again with the bloody climax and the final fight is an atmospheric blast. You will also enjoy the unusual insights into the life of the Old Norse, their customs and shamanic practices. The manly Skarsgård impresses with his animalism and muscularity, so his traditional puppy dog look doesn't matter. Nicole Kidman, on the other hand, is a horrible sight when the camera filter isn't mercifully working on her; facial liposuction is evil. Ageing also demands grace.
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