The Northman (2022)
Director: Robert Eggers
Screenwriters: Sjón, Robert Eggers
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Elliot Rose, Willem Dafoe, Björk
Robert Eggers’ third feature, The Northman (2022), is a forceful, visceral epic that marries mythic tragedy to brutal, cinematic spectacle. Drawing on Norse legend and the tragic arc that inspired stories like “Hamlet,” the film follows young Amleth, who flees after his father is murdered by his uncle. Years later, disguised as a slave, Amleth returns to exact vengeance and to rescue his mother—driven by fate and the gods’ inscrutable will.
Visually, the film is breathtaking. Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke craft images of painterly precision: many frames feel like oil paintings rendered in cinema, with careful composition and stark, elemental lighting that give the story a timeless, majestic quality. The production design and location work emphasize the wild, unforgiving environment of the story, while the film’s sound design pulls viewers into each moment; the layered audio and the droning, atmospheric score by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough create a primal, immersive soundscape that complements the visuals.
The cast largely delivers powerful performances. Alexander Skarsgård embodies the relentless, brooding Amleth with intense physicality and a single-minded drive that anchors the narrative. Claes Bang is an effective antagonist, bringing menace and complexity to the role of the treacherous brother. Anya Taylor-Joy provides moments of warmth and levity, cutting through the film’s often grim tone. Nicole Kidman, as Queen Gudrún, offers an elegant and layered turn—though at times her accent and emotional beats may not land as strongly as the material requires, creating an occasional distance from the character’s inner life.
Stylistically, Eggers leans into long, carefully choreographed takes and restrained cutting, a choice that emphasizes ritual and inevitability. This approach gives the film a ritualistic rhythm, echoing the sense that events are driven by destiny. For some viewers, however, this formal rigor keeps the audience somewhat removed: the camera often observes rather than invites intimate, emotional engagement. The film asks viewers to witness actions and consequences and to appreciate the craftsmanship in staging and theme, more than to step inside the characters’ private interiority.
The narrative itself follows a classic arc of vengeance and destiny, and for that reason it can feel familiar. From early moments—such as the arrival of the murderous brother—the trajectory becomes clear, and much of the drama is in the execution rather than surprise. That predictability does not dim the film’s power; instead, it reframes the experience as an enactment of an ancient story, steeped in ritual and myth. Fans of Eggers’ earlier, more psychologically unsettled work may wish for a twist or a darker subversion, but there is grandeur in the straightforward telling of this archetypal tale.
Highlights include striking set pieces—among them a memorable, brutal duel on volcanic slopes—and sequences that make full use of landscape and elemental forces. The production crafts physicality and spectacle without betraying the underlying tragic core: the film remains a meditation on fate, violence, and the human cost of retribution. At times style outweighs intimacy, but the craftsmanship and ambition are undeniable.
Overall, The Northman is Eggers’ most ambitious film to date: larger in scale and more operatic in tone than his earlier work. While it may not fully satisfy viewers seeking emotional immediacy or unpredictable narrative turns, it stands as a formally accomplished, visually ravishing piece of filmmaking. The film’s combination of stark beauty, relentless momentum, and mythic resonance makes it an unforgettable cinematic experience—one that confirms Eggers as a distinctive voice in contemporary genre cinema.
19/24
