The Northman
Year: 2022
Rating: R
Length: 137 minutes / 2.28 hours
Robert Eggers doesn’t have many films under his belt, but he already has a bit of a cult following for his bizarre movies. Films like The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019) are distinct by themselves. However, these movies certainly have a psychological aspect that might leave certain viewers scratching their heads. Taking a more traditional storytelling approach, The Northman (2022) still has elements that make it distinctly a Robert Eggers film. It leans heavily on a plot that’s familiar to most high school English students, however. While it’s certainly less thought-provoking than his previous works, it’s perhaps what makes The Northman the most approachable of his filmography.
Disguised behind the Norse setting, The Northman is basically Hamlet. Most of the story beats are similar to the Shakespearean play. That is, except that the duel between a man and his usurping and murdering uncle was much more epic in this movie. Considering the timeless nature of the Bard’s works, it’s not unusual to see them adapted with different cultural trappings like this. Heck, I consider one of the best adaptations of Macbeth to be the samurai film, Throne of Blood (1957). Eggers’ approach of using Vikings to tell this tale has the same effect while also allowing for some creative freedom.
As always, there is a psychological aspect to Eggers’ films. The Northman doesn’t dive too deep into this realm (like The Lighthouse did). Still, these strange sequences should be expected. Partly because the overarching plot is so familiar, it’s difficult to find anything deeper in this film that would leave room for discussion or debate. If you have seen none of his films, I’d suggest starting here to get a sense of whether you want to dive deeper into horror with Eggers’ back catalog.
A Norse Hamlet that’s Eggers’ most approachable film yet, I give The Northman 4.0 stars out of 5.
