REVIEW: The Northman is Stunning Film Filled with Great Performances

Director Robert Eggers returns to the big screen with his next film, The Northman. Inspired by Norse mythology, The Northman finds a young Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak) celebrating the return of his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke) from battle alongside his mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman). As he begins his preparations to inherit the throne from his father, his father is ruthlessly slain by his Uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang). Upon his escape, Amleth promises to return and avenge his father’s death. Flash forward a few years and we now find a grown Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) living among a new clan. Forgetting his promise, Amleth is visited by a Seeress (Björk) who reminds him of his promise and what the future entails for him. As Amleth sets out on his journey to find his Uncle, he comes across a young woman named, Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), who joins Amleth on his crusade to seek the revenge he quenches.

This new creation from Eggers can only be described as a brutal, revenge pic that immerses its audience in Norse mythology. Eggers use of long shots throughout the film creates a powerful relationship between the characters and the audience that truly adds a layer to the immersion. At no point throughout this journey is the audience ever left wondering what the character is thinking or what is going on in the story because of how he utilizes these shots. He masterfully crafts a visually stunning film that is beautiful yet gruesome at the same time. However, even with all its beauty, the film does drag at moments. There were a couple of scenes that didn’t add much to the story and could have brought the film under two hours rather than the two hours and twenty minutes it ends up being.

Skarsgård gives an impressive performance as the animalistic Amleth. His performance is everything you would want out of a boy who was meant to be King but raised among the “wild”. Taylor-Joy is the perfect addition to Skarsgård. The two play beautifully off one another, both physically and verbally. They had natural chemistry from the very second Amleth is introduced to Taylor-Joy’s Olga of the Birch Forest. My only wish is we had been graced with more Olga solo scenes because her character’s left me with a lot of questions. Nicole Kidman (Queen Gudrún), Willem Dafoe (Heimir the Fool), Ethan Hawke (King Aurvandil War-Raven), and Claes Bang (Fjölnir the Brotherless) round out the cast and each are stunning in their own ways. Some play only minor characters in the story but they still manage to leave quite the impression when all is said and done.

Many who watch this film will call it an epic masterpiece, and though I wouldn’t classify the film as epic, I will say The Northman is a stunning film filled with great performances. It is definitely a film I would recommend seeing on the big screen, but if you still don’t feel comfortable then make sure to check it out On Demand.

Grade: B+