The Northman - A movie review

The Northman is a 2022 epic historical fiction movie set in medieval Iceland, Scandinavia. The Northman tells the epic of a Amleth (played by Alexander Skarsgård), and his journey of betrayal, revenge, destiny, and death in a perfect depiction of not only Viking, but Scandinavian people, culture, and way of life.

The movie in other words, is gritty in its presentation of Vikings. The typical sibling rivalry, circle of revenge, raiding, killing, and pillaging is shown bluntly, and the movie is not afraid to show that by packing it with action driven scenes which kept me at the edge of my seat. The movie also gives high emphasis on the mystic aspects of their belief. Several scenes that show the mix of supernatural and reality made it hard to determine whether a scene was actually happening in reality, or if it was just in the mind of Amleth. His interactions in these scenes were what seemed to be the focus. We might have saw the scenes as plainly, supernatural mixed reality, but we can at least know that, that supernatural is real to Amleth’s experience, and that’s the only important thing about it all. Which, shows just how much Amleth takes serious into his belief, especially in his pre-determined destiny.

The action scenes of the movie also, should not be neglected as it’s one of where the movie shines brightly. The clothing, weaponry and itself, the brutal image of a warrior slicing open a man’s throat just screams historical accuracy of the Viking age. Say, even on a scene where several Vikings commence a kind of ritual which I assumed was a Berserker ritual (note that, the movie keeps referencing the importance of the mystics and tradition here, and throughout the rest of it), It was full throttle thrill and excitement throughout.

The Northman is, in short, a revenge story, with emphasis on the mystics and tradition, decorated with action driven scenes. Gritty, brutal, and blunt, and true of the Vikings during the Viking age. If you’re one that knows little about Vikings, and want to see big men raid, pillage, and kill, you will enjoy it. If you’re one that’s averagely a fan of Viking culture and are looking to watch a faithful depiction of Vikings as well as great action scenes along the way, this is also something you will enjoy greatly.