About the film (courtesy of Focus Features):
From visionary director Robert Eggers comes The Northman, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince (Alexander Skarsgård) on his quest to avenge his father’s murder.
Robert Eggers is an under-40 American-born writer-director that turned the heads of many with his debut work, The Witch (2015), starring a young unknown actress in what was also her first feature. That actress was Anya Taylor-Joy, who also stars alongside Alexander Skarsgård in the film we’re going to get to in just a few moments. For now though, let me say that I was in the vast minority of those that were not sucked into the slow-building supernatural horror drama.
Eggers returned for his second go round with another dark and slower moving drama, but more on the thrilling side, with The Lighthouse (2019) starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Again, this was met with critical praise from the masses, and yet again, I was less than impressed. It would seem as though Mr. Eggers’s visons and my tastes have not been in alignment thus far. Let’s now talk about how The Northman plays out in my eyes.
One aspect that is very impressive from all of Robert Eggers’s works is that each work is strikingly beautiful and serves as a treat to the eye. The Northman is no different that his first two films. The use of creative lighting and beautiful scenery assist in immersing viewers completely into whatever story is being told. The authentic feel that is displayed assists in setting the tone of this Icelandic revenge epic.
From the opening scenes featuring Ethan Hawke as King Aurvandil War-Raven, you sense that The Northman will be full of inspired performances. And from that perspective, you aren’t wrong. The list of talent attracted by Eggers’s creative works in such a short time is impressive. In addition to Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Björk, Anya Taylor-Joy and of course, Alexander Skarsgård, all lend their skills to bringing this story to life. In addition, Danish actor, Claes Bang, brings a high level of detest to his character.
While Alexander Skarsgård really does bring an inspired and emotionally charged A-game performance in the lead role, The Northman left me standing out in the cold murkiness of indifference for the most part. To circle back to my admission in the beginning that I have found it difficult to fully praise what Robert Eggers has given audiences in the first two films, my stance has not been swayed at all while enduring the next 136 minutes of his work.
There’s definitely an audience for The Northman and many will probably just love it as a refreshing, unflinching story of heartache and redemption at all costs. The canvas is painted beautifully but the subject matter leaves much to be desired. So this one is a no for me and I’d recommend waiting until you can watch it at home, or at a discounted ticket price if you’re dead set on seeing it in theaters.
The Northman is rated R for strong bloody violence, some sexual content and nudity. In theaters April 22.
