Film Review: The Northman (7/10)

Jason Diaz
Dec 23, 2025
7 min read

PRIMAL FURY

Step into a world of mud, blood, and ancient prophecy with Robert Eggers’ 2022 Viking epic, The Northman. Directed and co-written by Eggers alongside Icelandic poet Sjón, this high-stakes revenge thriller stars Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, supported by an incredible ensemble including Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, and Ethan Hawke.

Based on the medieval legend that inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the story follows a young Viking prince who witnesses his father's brutal murder and spends decades hardening himself for one singular, animalistic purpose: avenge his father, save his mother, and kill his traitorous uncle. It is a kinetic, uncompromising journey into the heart of Norse mythology that prioritizes raw, atmospheric energy over traditional Hollywood polish.

STORY (1/2)

The story being told here is as ancient as the volcanic rocks of Iceland, following a monomaniacal quest for vengeance that is both simple in its drive and complex in its spiritual underpinnings. Set in the 10th century, the narrative takes us from the royal, torch-lit halls of a fledgling kingdom to the grueling slave camps of Iceland, where the terrain is just as unforgiving as the warriors inhabiting it. Eggers uses this setting to anchor the story in a pre-Christian world where fate is a tangible, inescapable force woven by the Norns, making every action feel like a step toward an inevitable doom. While the central mission is clear—Amleth is all decision and no hesitation—the film surprises by weaving in mystical rituals, drug-fueled fever dreams, and skeletal hallucinations that make the journey feel more like a descent into madness than a standard action flick.

However, despite the uniqueness of the delivery and the inclusion of things like the "He-Witch" and the "Mound Dweller," the story structure occasionally feels repetitive. Because Amleth is so singular in his focus, the narrative lacks the psychological "back-and-forth" that makes other revenge tales like Gladiator resonate on a deeper emotional level. Amleth repeats his mantra—"Avenge Father, Save Mother, Kill Fjölnir"—so often that it becomes a hypnotic chant, but it also limits his capacity for an internal life. It is an incredibly easy story to follow, but its extreme nihilism and lack of traditional character growth can make it feel a bit hollow for some viewers looking for a redemptive arc. The complexity comes not from plot twists, but from the historical authenticity and the way Eggers challenges our modern sense of morality by depicting a hero who is just as cruel as his enemies.

It’s a distinct, atmospheric story that stays true to its brutal roots, but its uncompromising nature means it doesn't always hit the same emotional high notes as the director’s more contained previous works like The Witch.

VISUALS (2/2)

The Northman is an absolute triumph and arguably one of the most stunning films of the decade. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke renders the Viking age with a "brutally formalist" approach, utilizing long, complex tracking shots and natural lighting to create a picture quality that is both raw and breathtakingly beautiful. The film has a unique visual language, often bathed in monochrome moonlight or the flickering, golden glow of firelight, which creates an immersive atmosphere of ancient dread. There were zero distracting issues with visual quality; instead, every frame feels like a rigorously researched living painting brought to life with high-impact precision. Even the desaturated greens of the Icelandic fields were intentional, designed to make the world feel as miserable and cold as the characters who inhabit it.

What truly stuns is the sheer scale and kinetic energy of the visuals, particularly during the five-minute continuous take of the berserker raid on the Slavic village. The camera moves with a smooth, relentless stability that places you directly in the middle of the carnage, making every blow feel heavy and authentic without the need for rapid-fire "shaky cam" editing. Another standout moment is the climactic battle atop the volcano—a visual feast of silhouette, ash, and lava that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in an action set-piece. The meticulous attention to detail in the costume and set design ensures that the film feels transportive, taking the audience back a thousand years with a clarity that is rarely seen on screen. The use of infrared cameras for night scenes gives the forest a ghostly, ethereal look that elevates the film from a historical drama to a high-concept mythic epic.

This is a 2/2 visually, without question.

SOUND (2/2)

The soundscape of The Northman is a primal, roaring masterpiece that perfectly matches the film’s animalistic energy. Composers Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough utilized traditional Nordic instruments—like the tagelharpa, bone flutes, and the kravik lyre—to create an evocative, "heavy" score that feels like it’s being pulled directly from the frozen earth. The audio mix is expertly balanced, ensuring that the thrum of the war drums and the visceral sounds of battle never drown out the clarity of the dialogue or the eerie, whispered prophecies of the Seeress. The movie’s surround sound mix is a massive benefit, enveloping the listener in the sounds of the crashing Atlantic waves and the guttural howls of the berserkers as they transform into "bear-wolves."

Standout musical moments occur during the ritualistic dances and the haunting appearance of Björk, where the audio becomes a bridge between the physical and the supernatural. There are no moments where the sound is unbalanced or distracting; instead, every audio element is designed to enhance the emotional impact and cultural authenticity of the film. The score's use of sustained, decaying delay and ambient reverb creates a sense of constant, underlying tension that drives the kinetic pacing of the story. It is a rare example of a soundtrack that doesn't just support the film, but actively helps define its entire identity, earning it a perfect score for audio. Hearing the rhythmic, heavy breathing of the warriors during the initiation ritual creates a sensory experience that is almost overwhelming in a theater setting, making the film feel less like a movie and more like a visceral memory.

CHARACTER (1/2)

Characters in The Northman are brought to life through committed, physical performances that prioritize raw power over nuanced growth. Alexander Skarsgård is a behemoth of a lead, delivering an animalistic, believable performance as a man who has traded his humanity for a blade. His physicality is undeniable—he hunches like a predator and screams with a guttural intensity that makes his transformation into a beast feel authentic. Nicole Kidman is arguably the highlight, delivering a shocking, scathing monologue as Queen Gudrún in the second act that completely pierces Amleth’s worldview and adds a layer of much-needed complexity to the film. She subverts the "damsel" trope by revealing her own manipulative agency, turning Amleth's quest into a tragic misunderstanding of his own family history.

However, the film struggles to make these characters truly sympathetic for a modern audience. Because they are so driven by fate and vengeance, there isn't much room for the type of development that would allow the audience to connect with them deeply outside of their shared trauma. While Anya Taylor-Joy is terrific as Olga of the Birch Forest, her character initially feels a bit underwritten, functioning more as a vessel for Amleth's rare moments of tenderness than as a fully independent force. The actors certainly deliver the intensity required, but the "Hamlet-esque" complexity of the source material is often sacrificed for the sake of the film's relentless, monomaniacal drive. You respect their journey and are stunned by their physicality—especially during the brutal knattleikr game—but you don't necessarily feel for them, which keeps the character score from reaching its full potential.

FACTOR X (1/2)

Subjectively, The Northman is a movie that I wholeheartedly respect for its ambition and its refusal to compromise on its vision. I enjoyed the opportunity to see a high-budget Viking epic that isn't afraid to be weird, mystical, and unremittingly brutal. As a fan of Eggers’ previous work, I appreciated the "Factor X" of seeing him scale up his meticulous world-building for a larger stage without losing his arthouse soul. It feels like a testosterone shot to the chest, a rare studio risk that pays off in terms of sheer cinematic scale. However, I can’t ignore that the film lacks the same "re-watchable" spark as The Witch or The Lighthouse. Its nihilism is so total and its pacing so relentless that it can feel a bit exhausting by the time the final credits roll.

Comparing it to other historical epics like Gladiator or Conan the Barbarian, it lacks the same triumphant emotional payoff that usually rewards an audience for sitting through such a grueling journey. Amleth’s victory feels hollow, which is likely Eggers’ point, but it makes for a disheartening experience. It is a film of pure passion and sincerity, and I truly value the creative process that went into making such an "alien" piece of cinema, but it doesn't quite hit that perfect 2/2 for personal enjoyment. It’s the kind of movie you see once and never forget, but you might not necessarily want to jump back into the mud and blood right away. It’s a 1/2 for Factor X—an incredible, high-impact experience that just misses that final, subjective "wow" factor that brings me back for repeat viewings.

Robert Eggers’ The Northman is a stunningly beautiful and sonically overwhelming epic that brings the brutal reality of Viking legend to life with unmatched authenticity. While its monomaniacal story and lack of sympathetic character development might leave some viewers cold, its visual and audio mastery make it a mandatory experience for fans of serious, auteur-driven cinema. If you loved the atmospheric intensity of The Revenant or the uncompromising grit of Macbeth (2015), this is a must-watch. It is currently available on Netflix and most VOD platforms, and it absolutely demands the largest screen and best sound system you can find. It’s a visceral, 7/10 achievement that proves the "dream of Rome" has nothing on the fury of the North.