CONQUER YOUR FATE.

In the 900s, Viking warrior Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) is pillaging his way through Eastern Europe, looking for an opportunity to take vengeance against his uncle (Claes Bang) who many years earlier murdered his father (Ethan Hawke). Gustaf Skarsgård had the Vikings TV series, and here’s his brother taking on a predecessor to ”Hamlet” in the shape of a hulking warrior who forms a bond with a sorceress (Anya Taylor-Joy) who helps him exact revenge. Somewhat more audience-friendly than the director’s Lighthouse (2019), this is an often fascinating, brutal and spiritual interpretation of the Viking era. No holds barred, and that goes for the performances as well. 

2022-U.S. 137 min. Color-B/W. Produced by Robert Eggers, Mark Huffam, Lars Knudsen, Arnon Milchan. Directed by Robert Eggers. Screenplay: Robert Eggers, Sjón. Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke. Cast: Alexander Skarsgård (Amleth), Nicole Kidman (Gudrún), Claes Bang (Fjölnir), Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk… Willem Dafoe, Gustav Lindh.

Trivia: Co-executive produced by Skarsgård. His brother Bill was originally cast in Lindh’s role. 

Last word: “My first two films were all tested for marketing, but I didn’t have to change anything. So this was new, and as much as I didn’t like that process, I did learn something from it. But more than that, this is the film I wanted to make. This is my director’s cut. The studio pressure made the film what I originally pitched to them, which was the most entertaining Robert Eggers movie I could make. Honestly, without their pressure, I couldn’t have done that. It’s hard for me to tell a story with a beginning, a middle and an end, for goodness’s sake.” (Eggers, The Guardian)