The Northman

Robert Eggers, who brought us The Witch and The Lighthouse, takes on Norse mythology with this 2022 Viking epic. Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth, a prince who watches his father King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke) get murdered by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) and then spends two decades transforming into a hulking berserker bent on revenge. Nicole Kidman plays his mother Queen Gudrún, Anya Taylor-Joy is the mysterious Olga, and Björk appears as a blind seeress. Shot on location in Iceland and Northern Ireland, the film cost around $70 to $90 million to make and grossed just under $70 million worldwide. It earned an R rating for its brutal violence and scored an 82 on Metacritic, with many critics praising its immersive, one-take action sequences and Eggers' commitment to historical authenticity.

This is a standalone film, not part of any franchise, though it draws from the same 12th-century Scandinavian legend that inspired Shakespeare's Hamlet. Eggers co-wrote the script with Icelandic poet Sjón, weaving in Old Norse dialogue and shamanic rituals. The score, composed by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough, uses reconstructed Viking-age instruments like tagelharpas and bone flutes. Despite its box office underperformance, the film has developed a strong cult following and is increasingly seen as one of the most ambitious historical epics of the decade. [edit]

Young Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak) witnesses his father King Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke) being brutally murdered by his uncle Fjölnir the Brotherless (Claes Bang) during a ritual ceremony in a wolf pit. The king is killed in a surprise attack, and Amleth's mother Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman) is taken captive. The boy escapes by boat, clutching his father's severed necklace, and swears a solemn oath: "I will avenge you, Father. I will save you, Mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir."

Twenty years later, Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) has grown into a massive, bloodthirsty Viking berserker. He participates in vicious raids across the Rus' territories, pillaging villages with savage efficiency. After one such raid, he encounters a blind seeress (Björk) who reminds him of his unfulfilled oath and reveals that Fjölnir has been deposed from his throne by King Harald of Norway and now lives in exile on a remote farm in Iceland. Determined to fulfill his destiny, Amleth abandons his band and infiltrates Fjölnir's settlement by posing as a slave.

On the slave ship, he meets Olga of the Birch Forest (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Slavic woman with mysterious powers who claims she can "corrupt the minds of men." They form an uneasy alliance. At Fjölnir's Icelandic farm, Amleth discovers his mother Gudrún living there as Fjölnir's wife, along with their young son Gunnar (Elliott Rose). Fjölnir's son Thórir the Proud (Gustav Lindh) serves as enforcer and suspects the new slaves. Through visions and guidance from a wise woman, Áshildur Hofgythja (Olwen Fouéré), Amleth learns he must retrieve a special sword called Draugr's Bane. He ventures into a burial mound, defeats an undead guardian, and claims the weapon. Rather than killing Fjölnir immediately, he hides the sword and bides his time, secretly terrorizing Fjölnir's men by killing Thórir's companions and hanging their corpses. Olga aids his campaign by feeding hallucinogenic mushrooms to the men, driving them mad and causing suicides.

Amleth is promoted to leader of the slaves after protecting young Gunnar during a visit to a neighboring chieftain's village. As his reward, he chooses Olga as his woman. That night, they make love and formulate a plan to rescue Gudrún and destroy Fjölnir's household. But the central conflict revolves around Amleth's single-minded pursuit of vengeance versus the complex truths he uncovers about his family's past.[edit]