“The Northman” is a revenge thriller dressed up as a Viking epic, and it mostly earns that costume. Robert Eggers directs from a screenplay he wrote with his brother, and the result is a film that respects both the genre’s pulp and its craft. It stars Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, a prince whose father is betrayed by his uncle and killed, setting off a chain of violence that spans years and continents. The film runs 169 minutes, and it does not waste a second of that time.
Trailer, via Focus Features.
Amleth’s Long Road Home
The story opens with Amleth as a child, witnessing his father’s murder at the hands of his uncle, Fjölnir, played by Willem Dafoe. The boy vows revenge, but he is sent away to live with his uncle’s enemies, the Saxons, until he can return as a man. Years later, he comes back to his homeland as a grown warrior, determined to avenge his father’s death. Along the way, he meets a witch named Hela, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, who teaches him the skills he will need to survive.
The revenge plot is simple, almost archetypal, but Eggers refuses to make it easy. Amleth is not a hero of pure motive. He is driven by grief, anger, and a sense of duty, but he also carries a streak of cruelty that keeps him from being a simple victim. Skarsgård plays the part with a physicality that matches the material. His Amleth is fast, strong, and relentless, and the film lets him move through fights with a fluid grace that feels earned.
Dafoe’s Fjölnir
Willem Dafoe gives the film its moral center. His Fjölnir is a schemer, a liar, and a killer, but he is also a man who believes he is doing what is best for his family and his kingdom. The film never excuses his actions, but it does let him explain them. That balance is rare in a revenge movie, where the villain is often a cartoon. Here, Fjölnir is a fully realized character, and Dafoe’s performance carries the weight of his contradictions.
The relationship between Amleth and Fjölnir drives the film’s emotional core. They are uncle and nephew, but they are also rivals and enemies. Their scenes together are tense and often funny, with Fjölnir’s intelligence matching Amleth’s strength. The film builds to a confrontation that feels inevitable, and it delivers on that promise.
Taylor-Joy’s Hela
Anya Taylor-Joy plays Hela, the witch who trains Amleth in the arts of war and magic. She is a mentor figure, but she is not a mother figure. She is cold, distant, and sometimes cruel, and her presence forces Amleth to grow up faster than he wants to. Her scenes are some of the best in the film, and Taylor-Joy brings a sharp intelligence to a character who could have been a prop. She is not there to be beautiful, and the film never treats her that way.
“The witch is not a damsel in distress.”
That line sums up the film’s attitude toward women. Hela is a force, and the film respects her as one. She is a survivor, and her survival is not presented as a tragedy.
Sound and Fury
Eggers has built his reputation on films that are loud, visceral, and unapologetically physical. “The Northman” continues that tradition. The fights are brutal, the landscapes are vast, and the sound design is immersive. The film uses a score that mixes traditional instruments with electronic elements, and the result is a sound world that feels both ancient and modern. The mix of old and new is deliberate, and it reflects the film’s approach to its source material.
The film draws on the legend of Hamlet, and it acknowledges that connection without pretending to be a faithful adaptation. It is a modern retelling, and it takes liberties with the original story. That freedom allows Eggers to add layers that the source text lacks. The film explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the nature of vengeance, and it does so with a visual style that is both painterly and kinetic.
The Witch’s Spell
Hela teaches Amleth to fight, but she also teaches him to think. She warns him about the dangers of revenge, telling him that it is a poison that will destroy him if he lets it consume him. That warning gives the revenge plot a moral weight that most films in this genre lack. Amleth does not simply want to kill his uncle. He wants to prove something, and the film shows the cost of that desire.
The film’s ending is ambiguous. Amleth achieves his revenge, but the victory is hollow. The film suggests that the act of killing his uncle does not bring closure, and it leaves the audience with a sense of unease. That ambiguity is a risk, and it does not always pay off. Some viewers will find the ending unsatisfying, while others will find it thought-provoking. The film is not interested in neat resolutions, and that is part of its appeal.
Final Word
“The Northman” is a demanding film. It asks for attention, patience, and a willingness to engage with its themes. It is not a film that rewards passive viewing. It is a film that rewards engagement, and it offers plenty of rewards for those who are willing to work for them. The performances are strong, the direction is confident, and the script is smart.
The film’s flaws are real, but they are small compared to its strengths. Some scenes feel padded, and the middle section drags slightly. The pacing is uneven, and there are moments where the film loses focus. However, these moments are brief, and they do not undermine the overall impact. The film is a success.
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