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 Skarsgård 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.