If you’ve been hunting for a netflix movie that’s dark, gritty, and borderline feral in the best way possible, Netflix just did you a favor. The Northman — yes, the wild Viking revenge movie you probably skipped in 2022 — has landed on the platform, and within hours it smashed its way straight into the top 10. Not surprised. This film is a beast.
Robert Eggers, the guy behind The Witch, The Lighthouse, and Nosferatu, doesn’t just make movies — he makes experiences that crawl under your skin. But The Northman might be his most overlooked gem. It came out with a massive budget, got buried at the box office, then disappeared from almost every major streamer. Now it’s finally resurfaced, and students everywhere are suddenly like: “Wait… how did we miss THIS?”
So what’s the vibe? Pure vengeance.
Amleth, a young Viking prince, escapes a bloody coup after witnessing his father’s murder. Years later, he returns as a full-blown warrior with one goal — avenge his father, rescue his mother, and basically tear down the uncle who ruined everything. If that plot feels familiar, it’s because this ancient Norse legend partly inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Only this version is way more savage.
What The Northman Is Really About
In case you want the story before diving in…
We open in 895 AD with young Amleth (Oscar Novak) returning home just in time for a bizarre father-son ritual that looks equal parts spiritual and unsettling. The next morning, all chaos breaks loose: his uncle Fjölnir betrays the king, wipes out their stronghold, and drags Amleth’s mother (played by Nicole Kidman) away. Amleth escapes by boat — but not before carving his promise of revenge into his soul.
Fast-forward years later. Adult Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) is a hardened, wolf-eyed warrior rolling with a Viking raiding crew. During one raid, he meets Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a captive sorceress with her own quiet fire, and together they form an alliance. Disguised as a slave, Amleth infiltrates his uncle’s Icelandic estate… and from there, things get bloody, mythic, and absolutely unhinged.
Why Students Should Absolutely Stream The Northman
If you love movies that whisk you away to another world — not just with costumes, but with atmosphere, sound, and full cultural immersion — this one delivers. Eggers has a way of making you feel like you’re time-traveling, and every frame of The Northman feels handcrafted. The cinematography alone is gallery-worthy, and the soundtrack hits like thunder in an empty valley.
The film opens strong: a volcanic landscape, a haunting voiceover, and a scene that instantly sets the tone for a story that’s grim, mystical, and soaked in fate. Even if you’re watching on your hostel bed with bad WiFi, the tension grabs you by the throat.
Be warned: the violence is real. Not Marvel-polished. Real. But even in the brutality, Eggers keeps everything artistic and purposeful. The camera work is sharp, the edits are precise, and some sequences are so visually striking you’ll want to pause just to appreciate them.
The acting? Solid.
Skarsgård gives the role everything — grief, rage, vulnerability, madness. Nicole Kidman shows up for fewer scenes, but when she does, she goes all in, delivering moments that feel both royal and deeply unsettling.
Critics aren’t lying about this one either. With a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the consensus pretty much sums it up: “A bloody revenge epic and breathtaking visual marvel.” They’re not wrong.
Final Thoughts
The Northman is not for the faint-hearted, but if you’re in the mood for a story that feels ancient, raw, and almost mythological, you’ll sink right into it. And if you’ve been following Eggers’ work, this movie will only make you more excited for his upcoming 2026 project, Werwulf — which already sounds like another deliciously dark ride.
You can stream The Northman on Netflix right now. Grab your headphones, dim your lights, and prepare for chaos.
