"I couldn’t look away."
— Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
"Genuinely thrilling from start to finish."
— Linda Marric, The Jewish Chronicle
"A staggering feat of visceral filmmaking."
— Carlos Aguilar, The Playlist
"It’s never less than epic, never less than the new benchmark in Viking stories put on film."
— Roger Moore, Movie Nation
"All hail an egg-head whose non-macho masterpiece is hopefully about to set the world on fire."
— Charlotte O'Sullivan, London Evening Standard
"Make it your destiny to see this blood-soaked odyssey along the edge of the world as soon as possible."
— Phil de Semlyen, Time Out
"This is the kind of filmmaking that rips you out of your body so hard that you’re liable to forget what year it is."
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
"Robert Eggers blood-soaked Viking epic isn't just the film of the year so far its a widescreen rallying cry for cinema in the age of streaming."
— Philip De Semlyen, Time Out
"A truly distinctive epic, blending brutal violence, powerhouse performances and otherworldly imagery into its volcanic rampage of revenge. Unmissable."
— Matt Maytum, Total Film
"The Northman lives and breathes like the old epics; not Old Hollywood's cartoonish depictions of warriors with horned helmets, but the ancient tales to which he pays deep respect."
— Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
"Eggers’ immersive approach and stylistic flair creates one wild, applause-worthy combat scene after another, reminding viewers why he’s one of the most unique visual artists working today."
— Tomris Laffly, AV Club
"In a movie era that’s been defined by compromise, The Northman rides into theaters with the fury of a valkyrie — it’s the rare studio epic that would sooner die than submit to modern precepts of how it should be told."
— David Ehrlich, indieWire
"It’s a big risk to spend that much cash on an auteur-driven historical epic at a time when historical epics have largely fallen by the wayside. But what a beautiful risk it is. I call upon Odin: may The Northman make a billion dollars."
— Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent
"Robert Eggers delivers big yet again. The entire ensemble sizzles in this ferocious revenge tale that envelopes you in the 10th Century and ensures you feel every ounce of the story's passion and aggression via the expertly crafted camerawork."
— Perri Nemiroff (YouTube)
"This is intimate, culturally rich storytelling on a brutally epic scale. Skarsgård is in his element, bolstered by a sensational cast throwing themselves headfirst into Eggers and Sjón’s awe-inspiring vision. A cinematic saga worthy of the ancestors."
— Hanna Flint, Empire
"The Northman is gory, muddy, hallucinatory — and intensely entertaining. An examination of the way that violence begets violence, and a study of how a life devoted to single-minded hatred and vengeance can lead to uncomfortable truths, this is a movie that lives up to every saga comic books and metal bands ever spun about the brutal conquerors of yore."
— Alonso Duralde, TheWrap
"On its own, it’s still an incredible achievement, amplifying a blood-soaked adventure epic in the haunting specters of witchcraft and folklore that will still challenge viewers without leaving them fully out in the cold. Odin willing, it can offer a window for folks to look into Eggers’ more Bergmanesque works, and inject a little more cinematic curiosity into a palate that’s often dulled by CGI sameness."
— Clint Worthington, Consequence
"It’s a film with fingerprints all over it; one that has been crafted rather than manufactured, and rewatches reveal a chance to revel in its sharpness; a scene in which Amleth seeks the counsel of a blind Seeress (the incomparable Björk) teems with intricate set and costume details, while a violent game of Knattleikr – a Viking cross between lacrosse and rugby – proves more adrenaline-inducing than any CGI special of recent years."
— Hannah Strong, Little White Lies
