The Northman (2022)

 A few days ago, my Dad and I watched a brutal Viking revenge epic called The Northman (2022), which serves as a precursor to William Shakespeare's Hamlet. It is directed by Robert Eggers and stars Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, with Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight), Björk, and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man Trilogy, Spider-Man: No Way Home). Afterwards, we read an article about how the movie promotes an offensive ideology, and our fellow patrons in the theatre felt much the same way. I, on the other hand, saw it as brutal, gritty, and what you would expect from a director who has transitioned to big budget films after previously directing independent horror films. In hindsight, it made me realize that everyone has their tastes and perspectives when it comes to the things they consume, and none of it has to do with the actors, let alone their other roles. Their real problem is with the crew, particularly the director, producers, and screenwriters. I would not recommend people see this movie if they have a weak stomach for medieval violence, but I would recommend it to people who have an interest in ancient history.

Oscar-nominee Willem Dafoe, who previously worked with director Robert Eggers in The Lighthouse (2019), drew me to the movie.