Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Northman review says that something wild, wondrous and wicked this way comes. It’s a powerhouse you will never forget if you’re daring enough to see it.

I’d heard good things about The Northman, but they did not prepare me for scope, the style, the sheer creative expanse of this dark, bloody and brilliant Viking epic.

This is cinematic storytelling at its finest. Drawing from Norse and Icelandic myths, it’s also unmistakably Shakespearean in theme. Gods, Valkyries, shapeshifters, soothe sayers and even Freudian theory are violently woven together in a way that is dramatic, fascinating and creative, yet leaves no doubt about where the the plot is going and how the characters are evolving. While it’s magical, mystical and symbolic, it’s not confusing. I admire and appreciate that.

The story revolves around Prince Amleth, played by Alexander Skarsgard, who, as no red-blooded appreciator of masculine pulchritude can forget, played Eric Northman in HBO’s True Blood. A young Amleth (Oscar Novak) sees his father (Ethan Hawk) slaughtered by his uncle (Claes Bang), who also abducts his mother (Nicole Kidman). As Amleth escapes, he swears to avenge his father, rescue his mother and kill his uncle.

Twenty years later, Amleth has become a fearsome Viking, who has put himself in a position to do all of that and more, with the help of the mysterious and passionate Olga of the Birch Forest (Anya Taylor-Joy). Epic mayhem and clashes ensue—this film is not for the delicate or weak of heart.

For all its darkness, tragedy and gore, there are moments of romance, whimsy and mirth. Some are perhaps unintentionally caused by the diversity of accents, but don’t let that detract from your impression of the film. No one adapts the Swedish lilt you might expect from Norse characters, but then again, it takes place in the 10th century, so who knows what people sounded like back then?

Director Robert Eggers has proven himself to be a master of edgy folk horror with the celebrated The Witch and The Lighthouse, but I feel the The Northman is much more accessible, and the pinnacle of his work so far. It’s the type of movie you come away from feeling that you just saw something weighty, weird, wild and important. It’s a true cinematic experience.

Rated  R

2 Hours 17 Minutes

If this The Northman review encourages you to storm your local cineplex, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Northman review says that something wild, wondrous and wicked this way comes. It’s a powerhouse you will never forget if you’re daring enough to see it.