2022’s most anticipated summer titles definitely include Robert Eggers‘s historical Vikings drama, The Northman. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that journalists are raving over the film after last night’s premiere in London. The movie centers on Alexander Skargård’s Amleth, a Viking prince turned berserker, on a mission to seek revenge against his Uncle Fjolnir, who killed his father King Horwendil and kidnapped his mother.
The Northman is unlike Eggers’ past critical acclaimed titles namely Lighthouse and The Witch. For starters, the movie falls under the director’s first big title in Hollywood made from a $90 million budget. Furthermore, it also features a roster of A-listers with Nicole Kidman playing Queen Gudrún, Willem Dafoe as Heimir the Fool and Ethan Hawke as King Horwendil, Amleth’s father.
The Northman has been Egger’s long-planned project, initially pulled in to make a Nordic-based flick by Skargård’s obsession over Viking culture. Nonetheless, the director’s enthusiasm seems to have paid off as early reviews are praising the film as his best by far. Some are even calling it a “masterpiece” and hailing it for its impressive accuracy based on a Vikings tale. Readers can check out reactions below.
The Northman: Robert Eggers has made his Gladiator. A satisfying, emotional revenge epic that kept me guessing and engaged with its beautiful language, mythology, and cinematography. Smaller than the trailers make it seem but still powerful and moving. The final battle is 🔥🔥🔥. pic.twitter.com/VKQK3GSTzb
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 5, 2022
Skarsgård is pure excellence in THE NORTHMAN. The whole movie is a trippy epic treat that will make you want to tear your shirt off and scream AAAAAAAARGH! like a Viking.
— Prano Bailey-Bond (@pranobaileybond) April 5, 2022
Some even spoke high of Kidman’s performance in The Northman
Nicole Kidman’s performance in THE NORTHMAN is gonna make huge swaths of film twitter lose their minds
— Maddie (@maddiewhittle) April 6, 2022
Nicole Kidman’s performance in THE NORTHMAN is gonna make huge swaths of film twitter lose their minds
— Maddie (@maddiewhittle) April 6, 2022
It’s a crying shame that THE NORTHMAN has been so criminally mishandled because it’s precisely what blockbuster cinema should aspire to, and still has the potential to be. Formally audacious but welcoming; easy to follow but not, simply, a guided tour. Five big ‘ol stars. Björk! pic.twitter.com/vXpDLOrU7b
— Jack King (@jackarking) April 5, 2022
all you need to know about The Northman — a $90 million viking revenge movie directed by Robert Eggers — is that every single moment of it feels like a $90 million viking revenge movie directed by Robert Eggers.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) April 5, 2022
I've been a huge fan of Robert Eggers for years, but THE NORTHMAN is truly his masterpiece. Brutal, fearless, & audacious, it feels like the kind of cinematic epic we don't see very often anymore. It's a ferocious & stunning work of art & Alexander Skarsgård rules. #TheNorthman pic.twitter.com/Cs8Zgbktuc
— Heather Wixson (@MMEFXBook out 10/20!) (@thehorrorchick) April 5, 2022
THE NORTHMAN is exactly what you’d expect from a $90 million Viking revenge film by Robert Eggers. Brutal & dazzling with a vast attention to detail. Story is pretty straightforward & slow early on but I was still in awe of its spectacle. Alexander Skarsgård is an absolute beast. pic.twitter.com/eTJlWGNeRe
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) April 5, 2022
THE NORTHMAN is 136 minutes of pure uncut revenge savagery. My favorite Robert Eggers fever dream by far.
— Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) April 5, 2022
Eggers fans were initially concerned over the news of studio interference. In fact, the film received poor scores during its test screening due to its realism of Nordic accents and slow pacing, which resulted in the studio asking to re-cut the movie. A process the director described as very painful.
“Frankly, I don’t think I will do it again,” he said. “Even if it means, like, not making a film this big ever again. And, by the way, I’d like to make a film this big. I’d like to make one even bigger. But, without control, I don’t know. It’s too hard on my person.”
The Northman is based on a Norse legend that inspired William Shakespeare’s hamlet. It’s a 12th-century Danish author Saxo Grammaticus’s tale of Prince Amleth of Jutland.
The Northman arrives in theatres on April 22, 2022.
