A Grimy Alexander Skarsgård Bloodied His Knuckles in This Fantasy Action Movie with Anya Taylor-Joy That's Now on Netflix

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Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth looking thoughtfully into the distance with a shroud on his head in The Northman.

Jeffrey is a freelance features writer at Collider. He is an MPA-accredited entertainment journalist and a Tomatometer-approved critic based in the LA area. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, TV, & Film and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.

Alexander Skarsgård currently stars in the hit Apple TV series Murderbot, which is awaiting its second season. However, before he became a sentient robot with his own autonomy, Skarsgård starred in an excellent film by Nosferatu and The Witch auteur Robert Eggers, The Northman. Taken from the Scandinavian legend of Amleth that would later inspire William Shakespeare's classic play, Hamlet, Skarsgård delivers an incredible performance in the visceral, grim, and gritty Viking epic. It's time to revisit why The Northman was one of the best and most overlooked movies of 2022.

Alexander Skarsgård Stars in an Intense Revenge Tale

The Viking Amleth, played by Alexander Skarsgård, lumbers through a village, covered in blood

The Northman is an intense, brutal, and blood-soaked tale of vengeance, depicting a young man's path of revenge for the death of his father. Skarsgård portrays a young Viking warrior and prince, Amleth, who flees from home as a child after his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), is betrayed and murdered by his own brother Fjölnir (Claes Bang). Years later, Amleth grows into a young warrior, and a vision from a seeress (Björk) puts him back on the path of revenge against Fjölnir, who has lost his throne, becoming a sheep farmer in Iceland, now married to Amleth's mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), with a younger son, Gunnar (Elliott Rose). Amleth soon forms an alliance and passionate romance with an enslaved Slavic sorceress, Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), who aids him in his quest for vengeance. However, Amleth eventually realizes that his single-minded path of revenge is far more complex than he imagined.

Although Amleth dedicates his life to revenge, he later learns events were more complicated than what he believed as a child — that his mother, Gudrún, loathed both him and Aurvandill, masterminding the plot to usurp Amleth's father. Despite wanting revenge on Fjölnir for murdering Aurvandill, Amleth recognizes that his uncle proves to be a rather honorable and understanding man, creating a compelling conflict over Amleth's journey and showcasing how his mission isn't fully righteous. Through his direction, Robert Eggers taps into primal, elemental human emotions, depicting the main characters as well-rounded, fully realized characters. Eggers masterfully imbues The Northman with deeply sad, tragic, and universal themes.

'The Northman' Incredibly Blends Fantasy With Historical Realism

Another exceptional aspect of The Northman can be found in how Egger mixes in fantastical visuals throughout Amleth's epic quest. The director beautifully depicts mythological and fantasy-type imagery with the authentic historical realism of the Viking Age setting. The fantastical elements and imagery come to life with an imaginary, dreamlike quality, such as when the Seeress visits Amleth, and when he obtains his "magical" sword Draugr from the undead Mound Dweller. The sequence where Amleth retrieves the sword and fights the Mound Dweller unfolds in a way that mixes Viking mythology with reality, effectively depicting how a fantastical legend is born from truth.

Essentially, the movie offers an interesting and immersive view of Viking culture, showcasing how superstitious individuals would spread their tales of folklore and legend and how naturally occurring events become exaggerated into myths. At times, The Northman does appear to deconstruct Viking legends, but an eerily magical quality endures throughout the film. That magic is largely found through Amleth's visions and dream sequences, which usually prove to be uncannily accurate.

'The Northman' Is One of the Most Overlooked Films of the Decade

Despite receiving rave reviews and critical acclaim, The Northman failed to garner the attention or prestige in comparison to Eggers' other works, such as The Witch or, more recently, Nosferatu. Additionally, the movie failed at the box office, grossing less than $70 million worldwide off a $90 million budget. Due to the film's release earlier in the year, it was later overlooked in the major award ceremonies and categories.

Although The Northman did not achieve great box office success or award prestige, it's still one of Eggers' finest works. Eggers presents an unapologetic, primal, epic, and emotional tale, bringing the Amleth legend to visual life in grim and gritty fashion. Skarsgård and Taylor-Joy anchor the film with exceptionally compelling performances and have dynamic onscreen chemistry during their romantic scenes. Kidman also delivers a riveting performance as the complex Queen Gudrún. The Northman presents another fine example of why Eggers is one of the best and most versatile directors working in the industry today.

The Northman is now available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.