After three films, Robert Eggers (The VVItch, The Lighthouse) has proven himself as one of the most exciting new directors in Hollywood. This is a revenge story which, by the end of it, you're unsure if revenge is the best route for Amleth.
Gaining that clout in Hollywood has allowed Eggers to gather an impressive cast, which features the likes of Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. Singer Bjork even makes a rare appearance on the silver screen in a small but pivotal role.
With a formula we've seen before, The Northman is elevated by the technical side of things. There's no action hidden behind fast cuts here, there's action and plenty of it, but long takes are used to see every brutal detail.
The movie is touted as being "the most accurate Viking movie ever", helped in large part by the set, where a small village was assembled for the film. I'm not an anti-CGI guy by any means but when everything is built for real in Northern Ireland it does work in the film's favour.
Some viewers may be put off a little by Robert Eggers for the third film in a row using period-accurate dialogue. I never found myself lost or unable to follow the plot but it can be a bit of a hurdle to overcome as the movie opens.
The Northman is the kind of film that's best appreciated a few days later. Walking out of the cinema I wasn't blown away but talking to others and thinking about it more, I came to really appreciate it.
See it with friends. Find your friend who's into Vikings. Everyone has one.
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