Movies

The Northman movie review

Can violent pillaging translate to the big screen?

What’s it about?

A young viking prince is left homeless after his uncle murders his father. The prince escapes vowing three things: save his mother, kill his uncle, avenge his father.

What did we think?

Anthony Sherratt says: Brutal and unrelenting, The Northman is a dark and compelling story that fully embraces the Nordic culture. What appears, at a glance, to be a simple revenge tale actually turns into a nuanced exploration of human emotion and motivation. While the moral and twists are a little heavy-handed, it doesn’t distract from some stunning tonality and character development. 

Director Robert Egger’s use of deliberately jarring cruelty may be upsetting but it’s actually an integral part of a story that dwells upon the dark side of humanity, the need to belong, and the drive for bettering one’s circumstances at any cost. Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd is the perfect broody vessel of carnage and is well supported by an impressive cast. The Northman will linger in your mind long after the movie ends.

8
brutal
Not for the faint of heart
Anthony has been reviewing movies for over 30 years (it may be longer now as he may have forgotten to add an extra year on). He lectures in journalism at the prestigious Queensland University of Technology and in addition to freelance writing, works with the charity Hands Across The Water. In a busy life, insomnia is his friend.
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