Robert Eggers is one of the best filmmakers of the past decade, and no one can tell me otherwise. Known for his incredibly dark and gothic movies “The Witch,” “The Lighthouse,” and most recently “Nosferatu,” he’s built a solid reputation for crafting unsettling, folklore-driven stories set long before the 20th century. But perhaps the least-known of his compelling projects is “The Northman,” which has just arrived on Netflix.
This movie unfortunately landed with a bit of a thud back in April 2022 after failing to make much at the box office, and it’s also one of Eggers’ movies I see the least on streaming services. But now that it’s found a new home on the biggest platform, it’s already crashed the top 10, and I’m glad this seriously dark action-thriller is finally getting the attention it deserves even if a little late.
“The Northman” follows a Viking prince who escapes a violent coup as a boy and returns years later as a grown warrior to avenge his father’s murder. This plot might sound vaguely familiar because it’s actually drawn from a real Viking legend, which is also thought to have inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Packed with intense drama and brutally bloody sequences, this action-thriller is an exhilarating thrill ride.
What is ‘The Northman’ about?
In 895 AD, young prince Amleth (Oscar Novak) returns home with his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), just in time for a mysterious ritual meant to prepare him to rule one day. The next morning, his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) betrays and murders the king, burns their stronghold, and captures Amleth’s mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman). Amleth narrowly escapes and flees by boat, but he swears he will get his vengeance.
Years later, an older Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) has grown into a hardened warrior roaming with a band of Vikings. During a raid, he meets a captive Slavic woman named Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) who is a sorceress enslaved alongside others, and they form a bond. Disguised as a slave, Amleth infiltrates Fjölnir’s estate in Iceland under the guise of servitude, secretly aiming to fulfil the oath that has driven him since his escape.
Why you should stream ‘The Northman’ on Netflix
The highest triumph for any historical drama is making you feel like you’ve been dropped completely into another era. It’s not just about authentic costumes or accents but about letting every frame breathe the culture and the atmosphere of that world. By that standard, “The Northman” ends up being a breathtaking work of cinema. At the same time, it’s a brutally bloody, mournful story of revenge, one that manages to evoke some pretty strong feelings.
“The Northman,” in simple terms, is a gory, grimy, relentless, mythic juggernaut on screen. Like many of Eggers’ movies, this one opens with a dramatic, grungy shot (this time of a volcano) while a haunting voiceover frames the story as a legendary saga. We’re then immediately introduced to the characters as young Amleth announces his father’s return, leading straight into a strange ceremony meant to prepare the boy for the throne. Even in the first ten minutes, the expressive score is enough to wrap you in a creeping sense of dread.
But the movie wastes no time getting into the seriously dark story, where an extended massacre scene will either grip you harder or put you off for good. Amid all the gore and chaos though, Eggers never loses sight of the visual artistry. Every shot is so carefully composed that you could pause it and hang it in a gallery. It has some of the best photography and one of the most epic soundtracks of the past few years.
While the story and visuals are undeniably impressive, it’s the central performance that really gives the movie its gritty heart. Skarsgård’s role is primal and physical, yet he also manages to convey real grief and emotional pain beneath all the ferocity. Kidman’s part is smaller, but even in limited screen time she gets some weighty scenes, and she doesn’t waste a second making them intense.
I can keep praising “The Northman,” but I’m not the only one with a positive take. In fact, it currently has an impressive 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site’s critics consensus reading: “A bloody revenge epic and breathtaking visual marvel, The Northman finds filmmaker Robert Eggers expanding his scope without sacrificing any of his signature style.”
The movie’s brutal violence and surreal, dreamlike moments might be off-putting for some, but if you’re willing to dive in, “The Northman” is utterly absorbing. Watching this movie only reminds me how excited I am for Eggers’ next project in 2026, “Werwulf,” which already sounds like it’ll be another seriously dark ride.
Stream "The Northman" on Netflix now.
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