The Northman Has Screened, Check Out What People Are Saying About Alexander Skårsgard's Viking Thriller

[Taylor Swift]

Critics have seen the movie! How are they reacting?

 

 

 

The Northman starring Alexander Skårsgard is one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, and it’s not hard to see why. The historical epic features an A-list cast, including Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Claes Bang, Björk, and Willem Dafoe, for one thing. Another is that it features an intense tale of revenge, as the thriller has a Viking prince’s quest to avenge his father’s murder. Did we mention the towering, shirtless Alexander Skårsgard? Critics have screened The Northman, so let’s take a look at their early reactions.

The Northman’s director Robert Eggers has built a reputation as a filmmaker of creating films that are as historically accurate as possible, while maintaining an atmospheric and haunting tone. His two previous feature films, The Witch and 2019's The Lighthouse, both received critical praise, but The Northman is his most ambitious project yet. What are the critics saying about his effort? 

CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg really enjoyed it, calling The Northman Robert Eggers' most accessible film. It's probably also a good sign when the critic keeps whispering, "Holy shit!" during the screening:

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CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell also go to see the film, and offers similar praise, calling it "primal" and "everything you want a Viking revenge thriller directed by Robert Eggers to be."

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Erik Davis of Rotten Tomatoes agrees that The Northman is the most accessible venture from the director, but clarifies that that fact doesn't take away from his filmmaking style. He praises Alexander Skarsgård's performance, so it appears the "crazy transformation" the actor went through to prepare for the role might have paid off. While Skarsgård is a "beast," Nicole Kidman's performance is stunning as well, according to Davis:

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Maggie Lovitt of Wealth of Geeks says the stunning cinemetography sets the scene for this epic saga:

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Germain Lussier of Gizmodo said The Northman is smaller than the trailers make it seem, but that doesn't take away from it being a satisfying and emotional tale of revenge. Apparently the final scene is pretty epic as well:

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High praise also comes from IndieWire's David Ehrlich, as he says Robert Eggers succeeded in making a big-budget movie that still feels like his style:

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Kate Erbland of IndieWire says The Northman had her on an emotional roller coaster, and it doesn't sound like a bad ride, if you ask me:

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Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture echoes other critics' praise about Alexander Skarsgård's performance. More than one critic has called the revenge story "straightforward," but that doesn't seem to be detracting from the film's overall likeability:

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It sounds like the early reactions to The Northman are overwhelmingly positive. We’ll get even more details when the reviews come out April 11, so be sure to check back to CinemaBlend for that. While you wait for the film's April 22 release date, be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are coming soon to streaming services and theaters near you.