Streaming Service: Peacock
Movie Name/Year: The Northman (2022)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Length: 2h 17min
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: New Regency Productions, Universal
Pictures, Focus Features, Perfect World Pictures, Square Peg, Focus Features, United
International Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures Argentina, Cinemundo, Tulip
Entertainment, Universal Pictures International (UPI), Universal Pictures Home
Entertainment
Director: Robert Eggers
Writer: Robert Eggers, Sjón
Actors: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan
Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Elliott Rose, Willem Dafoe, Phill Martin,
Eldar Skar, Olwen Fouéré, Edgar Abram, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Björk, Katie
Pattinson, Ian Whyte
Blurb from IMDb: 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.
Selina’s Point of View:
I remember the
thrill I got watching the trailer for
The Northman. The heavy Viking action,
the stunning setting... I had seriously high hopes for it.
I love it when I
movie goes even harder than I expected it to.
Robert Eggers (
Brothers,
The Witch, The Lighthouse) is a genius. He puts out nothing but amazing
work. His full-length directorial credits don’t include much (yet), but there
is not a dud among them. In about a decade or two, I think he might be hailed
as the best director of his time… maybe all time. He is not afraid of the dark,
not afraid of taking risking, and he listens to his actors, which allows them
to fully become their characters. He will be a giant that inspires the next
generation of filmmakers. I have no doubt in my mind.
Dark fantasy is
my favorite thing. I read it, I watch, I write it.
The Northman hit hard
for me. That said, I don’t think you need to be a fan of the genre to enjoy it.
The fight choreography and the gorgeous cinematography could speak to anyone.
There were a few
scenes that were extremely difficult to watch, though. You might not need to be
a fantasy, or even an action, fan to enjoy
The Northman, but you need to
be able to handle dark themes.
The
Northman is about as good
as it gets. I couldn’t come up with anything I disliked about it if I tried. I
even rewound to check and see if something in the beginning matched up with
something said near the end – and it absolutely did.
The
Northman is only streaming
on Peacock. If you don’t have it, now is a good time to get it.
Cat’s Point of View:
The
Northman was unequivocally
a masterpiece of ancient Viking storytelling. It was gorgeous, atmospheric,
visceral, and transported me back in time to the age of fair-haired marauders
in long boats. There was so much to love in this imagining of Norse legend.
It was a
brilliant call to choose the legend of Amleth for Robert Eggers’ next film.
While I understand his lament over not having ultimate control over the final
cut, the end product was breathtaking. This is the story that is said to have
inspired Shakespeare to write Hamlet. It’s a story that easily captures an
audience’s attention, and it’s full of twists and turns. I hadn’t realized this
parallel was an actual connection between the two stories and remember thinking
that there was an eerie resemblance as I was watching
The Northman
unfold.
It was absolutely
no stroke of luck, but the hand of fate that had Alexander Skarsgård (
Mute,
Hold the Dark, Big Little Lies) helming the cast as the titular lead. It
was his impassioned campaigning to Eggers for a Viking movie that put the
wheels in motion to bring
The Northman into reality. Ultimately, it’s
easy to say that this was a role that Skarsgård was born to play.
The cast was
brilliant. Nicole Kidman (
Queen of the Desert, The Beguiled, Bombshell)
embodied the role of a fierce Scandinavian queen. Ethan Hawke (
Sinister,
Tesla, The Black Phone) delivered a gritty performance as Amleth’s father.
Anya Taylor-Joy (
Marrowbone, The Queen's Gambit, Last Night in Soho) was
an ethereal delight as the earth-witch pillaged from what is now modern-day
Ukraine.
The
Northman’s
tale was brutal and unflinching. It certainly wouldn’t be for the faint of
heart, considering all the bone-crunching, blood, and gut-spilling that
occurred on the screen. I was fairly giddy, however, at the level of historical
accuracy and attention to detail put into this production. The story was
steeped in Norse mythology and Viking warfare – with a hearty dose of
vengeance. Like its latter-day successor, Hamlet, the legend of Amleth is a
cautionary tale about that very revenge. The saying that “an eye for an eye
leaves the world blind” very much so applies.
The cinematography
was incredible. It wasn’t just the gorgeous visuals that were captured that
were impressive. There were so many long takes of single camera shots, which
spoke to a great deal of stamina for both actors and crew alike. Thinking of
re-shooting multiple takes of some of those action scenes with the battles just
made me tired on their behalf.
I will say that
The
Northman wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. There were a few stretches that
felt a little on the slower end. I’ll counter, though, that those islands of
calm were a much-needed balance of relief to the intensity of the rest of the
narrative. If you’re a fan of Viking lore or even just action movies,
The
Northman would be right up your alley and I would give my hearty recommendation
for it.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 89%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 64%
Metascore – 82%
Metacritic User Score – 7.3
IMDB Score – 7.2/10
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5
Movie Trailer: