Following its April release, the Robert Eggers epic, The Northman, underperformed at the box office. The historical epic failed to meet the tail end of its production budget, only grossing roughly $68 million worldwide. With the immersive narrative and immensely talented cast attached to the project, the historical epic had no reason to fail the way it did. When combined with the success Eggers has previously had with The Witch and The Lighthouse, the reception of his newest film is surprising.
Despite The Northman's underwhelming performance at the box office, the film did rather well after it became accessible from home. The Northman was one of the top rented films on home services including Vudu, Google Play, and iTunes. The film also sold promisingly, as Blu-ray and DVD sales have begun to even the gap in revenue that The Northman had with fellow theatrical releases The Lost City and The Bad Guys.
Eggers' historical epic stars Oscar Novak and Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, a figure Scandinavian legend. Nicole Kidman and Ethan Hawke play Amleth's parents, with Claes Bang joining the family as Amleth's uncle. The Northman also features Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga, a witch that eventually becomes romantically involved with Amleth. Willem Dafoe and Björk are also attached to the project as figures in Amleth's life that aim to steer him toward his destiny. With a cast of this caliber, The Northman's underperformance at the box office is unexpected. The Northman's box office failure doesn't reflect Eggers' direction or its narrative, as the epic truly fires on all cylinders.
-1.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
From start to finish, The Northman is undeniably immersive. It immediately pulls its audience into the kingdom ruled by King Aurvandill (Hawke), as he triumphantly returns to Hrafnsey. He reunites with his wife Gudrún (Kidman) and son Amleth, whom he takes to Heimir the Fool (Dafoe). There, Heimir leads Aurvandill and Amleth in a spiritual journey that aims to prepare Amleth for his eventual kingship. After they emerge from the ceremony the following morning, Fjölnir (Bang) slaughters his brother Aurvandill (earning him the epithet Fjölnir the Brotherless), takes Gudrún, and orders his men to find and kill Amleth. This grim opening sequence of events sets Amleth on his quest for vengeance, as he rows away from Hrafnsey promising to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill his uncle. Years later, Fjölnir has been driven from Hrafnsey and lives in exile with Gudrún, his firstborn Thorir (Gustav Lindh), and Amleth's half-brother Gunnar (Elliott Rose). Amleth, having grown up in a band of Vikings as a berserker, travels there under the disguise of a slave, ready to enact his vengeance.
While The Northman is very much the historical epic it promises to be, Eggers' touch on the film is instantly noticeable. Like Eggers' previous projects The Witch and The Lighthouse, Eggers is able to flawlessly capture the era in which The Northman is set, down to minute details. His effort doesn't go unnoticed, as it creates an alluring environment that is impossible to look away from.
The Northman is intentional in its approach. There is no scene that the film could have been better without, and no character that could have been substituted for another. Even for those that are not fans of historical epics or Viking tales, The Northman is undeniably a visually stunning film. Visually, it is similar to Eggers' The Lighthouse, which contains a number of dimly lit shots that at times, can be frustrating to see through. However, The Northman makes fantastic use of shadows, particularly in its final battle sequence. Similar to The Witch and The Lighthouse, Eggers leaves the audience stunned at the end of The Northman. The silence prompted by The Northman isn't born from confusion or surprise, but out of necessity. Unlike the ambiguity of The Witch or The Lighthouse,The Northman brings a concise end to its heroic tale.
With all The Northman has to offer, the names attached to the film should only be considered part of the epic's draw. From start to finish, the film is nothing short of majestic and has the craftsmanship to rank highly on any list of films released in 2022. Even with a narrative that utilizes the overly familiar heroic journey, Eggers' style makes The Northman feel unique. While it isn't overly flashy, it still looks and feels significant. In comparison to Eggers' previous films, The Northman had over six times the budget of The Lighthouse and over 17 times the budget of The Witch. Financially, it had every opportunity to be the blockbuster it deserved to be treated as.
One of the substantial qualities of The Northman is that it has a bit of everything. There is a ton of action, featuring battle sequences that are either gory, beautifully choreographed, or a mix of both. The preparation for these sequences creates a number of suspenseful scenes, as do the concerns surrounding The Northman's deceptive subplots. The question of if and when Amleth's identity will be discovered, how he will get his revenge, and the believable twist Eggers throws into the mix with Amleth's mother, all help to create the anxious environment both Amleth and Olga find themselves a part of. The relationship between Amleth and Olga provides The Northman with just enough romance to drive the plot forward and continue the heroic journey Amleth is on.
Eggers isn't the only filmmaker to have experienced box office disappointment recently. With changes in movie theaters and people's attitudes toward entering theaters due to COVID-19, many films have had underwhelming performances at the box office, when they were originally projected to do much better. The success films like The Northman have seen on streaming services and in-home availability are testaments to this, as the interest in viewing these films is very much present. Even without the theatrical reception Eggers and the cast may have hoped for, The Northman is a beautifully crafted film that will only continue to gain admiration as the years tick by.
The Northman is now streaming on Peacock.