A young Viking prince embarks on a quest to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill his uncle. A film by Robert Eggers, starring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

In 895, King Aurvandill “War-Raven” (Ethan Hawke) returns to his kingdom on the island of Hrafnsey after emerging victorious from war, reuniting with his wife Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman) and their son Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak).

Hrafnsey is an island located in East Iceland. It is situated in the North Atlantic and is associated with the fictional village of Hrafnsey, as depicted in the film “The Northman.” Hrafnsey is described as part of Harald Hairfair’s Norwegian kingdom within the context of the movie. The island is characterized by its natural beauty typical of Icelandic landscapes, surrounded by water and featuring rugged terrain.

However, Aurvandill is gravely wounded. Due to his condition, he rushes to initiate Amleth into a ritual ceremony overseen by Aurvandill’s jester, Heimir the Fool (Willem Dafoe), to prepare him for his eventual accession to the throne.

The following day, Aurvandill is ambushed and killed by a group of warriors led by Amleth’s bastard uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang), who successfully usurps the throne. Fjölnir then orders his men to hunt down and kill Amleth, but the young prince manages to escape the island. As he flees, Amleth swears to avenge his father’s death by killing Fjölnir and to rescue his mother Queen Gudrún from his uncle’s clutches. Young Amleth is rescued by a group of Vikings and grows up among them.

Several years later, an adult Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) has become a fierce berserker warrior who leads raids on villages. He lives without purpose, having seemingly forgotten the vow of vengeance he once made.

After attacking a village in Garðaríki, Amleth encounters a Seeress (Björk) in the temple of Svetovit. This part feels exactly like a video game – our hero conveniently meets a NPC “quest-giving” Witch who msyteriously appears to remind him, “You must fulfill your sacred vow! Seek your revenge!” But of course, he can’t just go straight to the final boss – he needs to collect some important items first. After this perfectly timed reminder, Amleth immediately manages to break away from his Viking group to begin his quest for vengeance! OMG!

Garðaríki refers to the historical lands of Rus’ as recognized in Old Norse literature during the Middle Ages. The term is derived from the Old Norse words garðr (meaning “enclosure” or “stronghold”) and ríki (meaning “realm” or “kingdom”), which together can be interpreted as “the realm of enclosures” or “the kingdom of strongholds” The sagas often mention Hólmgarðr (Novgorod) as its capital, along with other significant locations like Ladoga, Kiev, Polotsk, Smolensk, and Suzdal. Garðaríki holds a place in the lore of Norse sagas, where it is often depicted as a land of legendary kings and significant historical figures.

Directed by American filmmaker Robert Eggers from a screenplay he co-wrote with Icelandic screenwriter Sjón, THE NORTHMAN struggles to find its footing between historical realism and fantasy, leading to confusion in several scenes. For instance, the appearance of the witch and her prophecies (which only Amleth can see), the quest for a magical sword that involves fighting a supernatural creature (though it’s unclear if this is merely in his imagination), and the mystical blade that cannot be unsheathed during daylight (which is definitely in fantasy territory).

Sjón is known for his collaborations with Björk (who also makes a supporting appearance in this film as the Seeress) and has recently gained attention for his screenplay work on LAMB (DÝRIÐ).”

In terms of storytelling, editing, and emotional engagement, it falls short when compared to THE GREEN KNIGHT, which embraced its fantasy elements more confidently and delivered a far more captivating experience.

I found THE NORTHMAN’s late-stage plot twist more compelling than its somewhat nonsensical ending. While it’s clear the director aimed to create a powerful final battle scene (one that fulfills the cryptic prophecies), the result fails to deliver the impact it should have had.

THE NORTHMAN premiered at Rigoletto Cinema in Stockholm on 28 March 2022. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 22 April 2022, by Focus Features.