You know I’m a busy person at this point, with more gigs and a few film articles on the way (and the development of a podcast coming soon!). And I have been in the midst of doing this review for a while. So, I’ve decided to do a very brief short review on The Northman (MancMuse Minis does have a ring to it). Robert Eggers returns to the world of film to make a Viking epic like no other: The Northman. Like his other two big films, The Witch and The Lighthouse, The Northman has complexity with a simple enough story that’s barbaric, shockingly brutal and with an epic depiction.
With a fancy array of actors like Ethan Hawke, Alexander Skarskgård, Bjork, Willem Dafoe, and returning actor Anya Taylor-Joy (who was the lead for The Witch), this film already becomes interesting. The range of actors brings something truly unique to the script. It’s a slow burner graphic novel-style story that gets down and dirty in all of the historical and mythological aspects of Scandinavian life.
It’s bloody, brutal and yet so heartfelt and strong in its character building, setting, establishing and storytelling that the very long runtime makes up for. Its mixture of mythology and realism really accentuates that this is an Eggers film. From Valkyries, Odin and Fenrir to undead zombies, royal bloodline trees and earth witches (of course Anya is a witch in this).
I think it was to be expected that the killing aspect of this film would be more brutish than your typical Viking depicted fights, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that The Northman surprised me with how beast-like it could get (pretty ironic for a film that has the recurring theme of feral wolves). Skarskgård’s blind rage throughout proves his character is a force to be reckoned with, and we see his years of being a berserker really paid off when it comes to his revenge against Fenrir.
Beheading, gutting, literal dismemberment – it’s not for the faint of heart and that’s what I appreciate the most: it shows the raw, unapologetic violence that people during that time were subjected to and was considered the norm. It gives you that shock factor but also makes you thankful that you don’t see (much) of that in modern society.
The Northman may just have become my favourite Viking-related film of all time. If you really want to feel like a berserker, then this is definitely the film for you (though I doubt you’ll be allowed to drink mead out of a horn in the cinema screening or wield battle axes – just saying). The Northman becomes an instant masterpiece for so many different reasons – so what are you waiting for? Go give it a watch!
Want more utterly brutish films to quench your thirst for battles and bloodshed? I have a array of film reviews of some of my favourite graphic films I’ve seen so far, such as X, Halloween Kills, Texas Chainsaw Massacre – there’s so many to choose from! If there’s a film you – yes, YOU – want me to review, please let me know by leaving a comment!
