‘The Northman' (2022) Review: An Epic, Blood-Soaked Revenge Tale from Robert Eggers
The Northman is precisely everything you have heard it to be. Anya Taylor-Joy just eats up every moment she’s in frame and Skarsgård delivers quite a powerful performance. This is Eggers at his best, while also being very palatable for casual moviegoer
★★★★½
R - Horror (136 minutes)
dir. Robert Eggers
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Claes Bang, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy
“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.”
— Official Synopsis
For those familiar with Robert Eggers’ past work, The Northman promises to be a more palatable story in the eyes of casual moviegoers all while keeping the scope limited in a historical lens; a staple of the director himself. However, from a mainstream perspective, this is exactly the type of film that may catch you off guard if you were simply expecting a more basic Viking tale. Complete with bloody confrontation, Nordic mythos, and compelling performances, Eggers delivers an unrelenting tale of revenge.
Alexander Skarsgård is Amleth, a prince on a journey to avenge his father’s (Ethan Hawke) murder at the hands of his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang). If this sounds familiar, Shakespeare’s Hamlet serves as a variation of the story. And even though this material isn’t really new, Eggers’ director of photography, Jarin Blaschke, who shot both of Eggers’ other films (The Witch and The Lighthouse), crafts a distinct style of unease around the whole scenario; this is especially prevalent in the more intense mythological aspects of the film. Much like his previous films, Eggers can effectively change your perception of what you think you may know about human history. These fictional stories are doused with thoughts and textures of reality, yet are far from anything we can experience. They exist somewhere in between.
If the visuals—and masterful production design from Craig Lathrop, who quite literally used dried blood to tone the sets—aren’t enough to pull you into the fated world of Amleth, the booming score from Sebastian Gainsborough and Robin Carolan will do the trick. Even though my screening was a few weeks ago now, the one thing I haven’t been able to get out of my mind is the feverish feeling of dread that persists atop the stunning visuals. When we talk about any film, we must discuss the cohesion between audiovisual storytelling and tone. Robert Eggers continues to show that he is a director who understands how to make every frame and additional production layer purposeful and direct.
While the more technical aspects are certainly impressive, the acting technique of the cast should not be overlooked, either. Anya Taylor-Joy eats up every moment she is on screen. Skarsgård’s performance is all-at-once meditative and brutish: he commands the screen with both his stillness and unfettered rage. Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman (Queen Gudrún) delivers some gut-wrenching dialogue with such ease. I wouldn’t say that there is any singular performance that stands out, rather everyone brings their own strengths to their respective character’s journey. The Northman undoubtedly follows Prince Amleth, but it still functions more as an ensemble piece.
Truly, The Northman is a film where every facet of the filmmaking process is firing on all cylinders. It may not entirely be what everyone expects, but it is the film that Eggers wanted to make. Existing somewhere in between a dense, mythological state and a bone-crunching quest for vengeance, the film marks another win for director Robert Eggers and the entire cast and crew.
The Northman is out now in theaters.
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Image via Focus Features
Image via Focus Features
Image via Focus Features