Known for his award-winning picture The Lighthouse and instant classic horror flick The Witch, Robert Eggers began his career in New York theater. Those who have followed his work for some time now have something to cheer about with the publication of The Northman, a historical fiction adventure set in Scandinavia. Sjón, a well-known Icelandic poet and writer, and Eggers collaborated on the script for the future film. William Shakespeare drew inspiration for Hamlet from the mythology of Amleth, which forms the basis of this project.
The Viking prince Amleth is played by Alexander Skarsgrd, son of Nicole Kidman's Queen Gudrn and King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke). Claes Bang plays Amleth, a man on a never-ending search for revenge after his uncle, Fjölnir, murdered his father. An Oscar winner who collaborated with Eggers on The Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy, plays as a supporting character in the film, Olga, who encounters Amleth on his perilous quest. Along with Willem Dafoe and Icelandic singer Björk, the film stars Kate Dickie as Halldora the Pict and Björk as Heimir the Fool.
The Northman is a fascinating thriller that will have spectators on their toes as Amleth risked everything to avenge his father's reputation and restore his realm in a bloody, violent, and brutally realistic depiction of the Viking Age. However, this isn't the only scenario that takes viewers to a different era or even a new plot that uses Vikings. We've compiled a list of eleven movies that have some of the same characteristics as The Northman, whether it's in terms of genre, historical period, or narrative.
Warrior No. 13
Epic in scope, The 13th Warrior, released in 1999, is a look at what happens when two worlds collide. Ahmad ibn Fadlan (Antonio Banderas), a Muslim pilgrim in the 10th century, becomes an envoy for Baghdad to the Vikings in Volga Bulgars, played by Banderas. When he joins a group of Viking warriors, his function as an envoy is swiftly transformed, and he becomes the group's thirteenth warrior, fulfilling a prophesy. It is directed by Die Hard's John McTiernan, who brings the Viking Age to life in a manner that The Northman does not.
Thor's Hammer Reigns
Valhalla Rising, a 2009 film set in Scandinavian Scotland, takes viewers on a journey. Dr. Hannibal Lector's Mads Mikkelson plays One-Eye, a captured Norse warrior. In One-Eye, Maarten Stevenson plays a little child who helps him escape. Christian Crusaders, who are looking for new recruits, escort the fleeing pair on a journey to the Holy Land. The historical fiction piece's title is a Viking twist on the Kenneth Anger films Scorpio Rising and Lucifer Rising.. Viewers will be reminded of The Northman's very own fighter, Amleth, in terms of talent and revenge when they see One-Eye in Valhalla Rising's history. The film is directed by Drive and The Neon Demon director Nicolas Winding Refn.
The Final King
A still from THE LAST KING shows Jakob Oftebro as the titular character.
Sámi director Nils Gaup directs The Last King, an upcoming Norwegian production. As shown in this film, Haakon Haakonson, the rightful successor to the Norwegian crown, was successfully delivered to Trondheim from Lillehammer by Birkebeiner rebels. During the year 1204, the Baglers deposed King Haakon of Norway. There are two Birkebeins who have been sent to guard the king's hidden heir, Torstein (Kristofer Hivju) and Skjervald (Jakob Oftebro). Based on much more accurate historical facts than The Northman, The Last King deserves your attention for its portrayal of medieval drama and the survival of an ancient royal lineage.
Into the Wild
The Revenant Image of Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox
The Revenant, a historical survival tale that won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture of 2015, comes next. A Michael Punke book, "The Song of Hugh Glass," and a 1915 poem, "The Song of Hugh Glass," both of which relate the narrative and myth of frontiersman Hugh Glass, are the basis for the film. Fur trapper Glass is brought to life by Leonardo DiCaprio's three-time Golden Globe Award-winning performance. He is left to die from his wounds after being viciously attacked by a grizzly bear, and his group is now headed by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). On his death-defying endeavor to avenge himself, Glass is like Amleth from The Northman. Known for his efforts on the Death Trilogy and other projects, Alejandro G. Iárritu is the director and co-writer of The Revenant.
It's impossible to discuss violent vengeance flicks, particularly historical dramas, without bringing up Gladiator from the year 2000. Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) earned an Academy Award for his performance in this film. He wants to hand over the reins of authority to Maximus rather than his son, Commodus, in 180 AD, Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Joaquin Phoenix). This is the discovery that leads to Commodus' death, the establishment of himself as the Emperor, and the execution of Maximus' wife and sons. As a gladiator, Maximus loses everything he ever held dear to him, including his dignity and self-respect. It is through Maximus' plotting to get vengeance on Commodus that Amleth's tenacity and drive are brought to life for viewers. Award-winning and gory masterpiece made by Alien and Blade Runner director Ridley Scott.
'Braveheart' was directed, co-produced, and starring Mel Gibson as the main character in the 1995 movie. William Wallace, a Scottish knight, played a key role in the First War of Scottish Independence. Heavily inspired Braveheart, the epic poem The Actes and Deidis of William Wallace was written by a 15th-century minstrel, known as Blind Harry, some 172 years after Wallace's death.
Actor Mel Gibson portrays a bitter Wallace who organizes a revolt against King Edward I following the murders of his loved ones at the hands of English invaders. As in The Northman, Amleth leads a rebellion against the usurping forces. It won five Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and one Golden Globe Award for its portrayal of the life of William Wallace.
In the Life and Death of Don Juan
It's no surprise that Kevin Reynolds, the director of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Fandango, is behind The Count of Monte Cristo. French novelist Alexandre Dumas's enduring masterpiece The Brothers Grimm was adapted for the screen by the same name. A well-known actor like Jim Caviezel (The Passion of Christ, Person of Interest) portrays Edmund Dantés, a man who has been wrongfully imprisoned. Dantés escapes jail, acquires wealth, and returns to France as the Count of Monte Cristo over the course of many years. Retaliation against those who deceived him is what he aims to exact with this persona. It's not as bloody as The Northman, but it does contain one man's cunning long game to reclaim what was taken from him. The Count of Monte Cristo
Conan the Barbarian is a character in Conan the Barbarian.
Character Conan the Barbarian was conceived by American novelist Robert E. Howard in the early 20th century and would go on to inspire many Arnold Schwarzenegger movies in the 1980s and 1990s. Rebooting the series in 2011, Marcus Nispel helmed Conan the Barbarian. Son of a barbarian chieftan, Conan (Joseph Mommoa) witnesses the slaughter of his whole tribe at the hands of Khalor Zym (Jason Momoa) (Stephen Lang). Zym is on a necromancy mission, and Conan sets out to stop him at any means in order to exact vengeance on him for his tribe's death. Conan the Barbarian is a high fantasy or sword and sorcery film, making it distinct from the other films on this list. It's also comparable to The Northman's Amleth in that Conan is an abrasive and brutal warrior who is obsessed with retribution.
Beowulf
Beowulf's story is rooted in folklore, much as that of the Northman. For the 2007 film Beowulf, English writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary were inspired by the Beowulf legend to develop the film's script. King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) sends the Geatish warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone) to Denmark, where he fights with the title character. By law, the king has ordered Beowulf (Crispin Glover), who is a warrior and a hero, to kill the man-beast Grendel (Crispin Glover). Despite Beowulf's success, the demon mother of Grendel (Angelina Jolie) attacks him. On this list, Beowulf is the only film that isn't shot using live-action, but is instead animated using 3D computer graphics.
a bald eagle
Jeremy Brock's 2011 historical fiction film The Eagle was inspired on the 120 AD unexplained disappearance of Legio IX Hispana, an imperial Roman legion. Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) is a Roman centurion whose father was a member of the Ninth Legion that went missing. Marcus sets off for Scotland in search of the legion's eagle standard, determined to restore dignity to his father's name. Marcus He and his slave, Esca, a Brigante who hails from Britain, put their lives at jeopardy in order to complete their mission. An interesting new take on the Ninth Legion's story, The Eagle is less about vengeance and more about honoring the fallen soldiers.
The Way to Happiness
The Salvation, a 2014 Western directed by Danish filmmaker Kristian Levring, was released in 2015. Mads Mikkelsen, who also played the lead role in Valhalla Rising, is a Danish immigrant named Jon, who joined his brother Peter in the United States in 1864. (Mikael Persbrandt). Upon arriving at the continent, Jon's family is killed by a group of criminals. As a result of Jon's actions, Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a powerful land baron who will use all of his resources to bring about Jon's demise, becomes enraged. Unlike The Northman, which depicts Nordic regions and the Viking Age, The Salvation depicts the Western Frontier and its lawless judicial system in a brutally realistic light.
