If watching Roger Eggers’ brutal revenge action thriller on Netflix has given you a taste for more bloody epics, you’re in good company. “The Northman” wasted no time crashing the Netflix top 10, and I was over the moon to see this seriously dark action-thriller finally get its flowers.
Alexander Skarsgård stars as Prince Amleth, a Viking prince who would later inspire Shakespeare’s iconic Prince of Denmark in “Hamlet.” Matching him beat for beat is Anya Taylor-Joy, who previously worked with Eggers on “The Witch,” as a Slavic sorceress who crosses paths with Amleth and helps enact his plan of vengeance to regain his rightful throne.
‘The Last King’ (Tubi)
Oscar-nominated director Nils Gaup’s historical epic “The Last King” was the first thing I thought of when I saw Eggers’ movie climbing the Netflix charts. It shares similar “Game of Thrones” vibes (helped by the fact that Kristofer Hivju a.k.a. Tormund plays the lead role) with a story even more grounded in truth than “The Northman.”
Set during Norway’s 13th-century civil war, “The Last King” is based on the true story of two impoverished rebels (Hivju and Jakob Oftebro) who smuggled Haakon Haakonsson, the illegitimate infant son of a recently assassinated Norwegian king, from Lillehammer to Trondheim. Their perilous trek through the snowy wilderness has since become the stuff of legend in Norway that’s commemorated to this day. “The Last King” is a worthy watch for its depiction of medieval drama and the desperate fight to preserve a royal bloodline.
Watch “The Last King” on Tubi now
‘Solomon Kane’ (Tubi)
Based on Robert E. Howard’s Puritan avenger, “Solomon Kane” — much like “The Northman” — failed to reach its potential at the box office but seems to have finally found its audience on streaming. Thanks in part to James Purefoy’s brooding yet sorely underappreciated performance as the hero slices and dices his way through a range of monsters created by the team behind “Godzilla” and “Silent Hill.”
Though the story often takes a back seat to spectacle, it’s easy enough to forgive thanks to a strong supporting cast—including Max von Sydow, Pete Postlethwaite, Alice Krige, and Jason Flemyng—whose performances elevate the uneven script. Unfortunately, it suffers from “obvious part one of a planned trilogy”-itis, which Director M.J. Bassett never got the chance to complete. But if you’re just looking to lose yourself in some epic battles and nightmare fuel critters this snowy winter weekend, it hits the spot.
Watch “Solomon Kane” on Tubi now
‘Beowulf’ (Pluto TV)
2007’s “Beowulf” is such a product of its time that I don’t think I’ll ever tire of revisiting it. Robert Zemeckis’ animated adaptation of the Old English epic was one of the earliest films to lean heavily on then-cutting-edge motion-capture CGI, which he saw as the future of filmmaking after finding success with Tom Hanks in “The Polar Express” (2004).
“Beowulf” fell short of such lofty aspirations, struggling to elevate this well-worn tale into a modern action epic, but it’s still touted among the most underrated fantasy movies of the decade. Written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, it stars Ray Winstone as the titular warrior who sets out on a dangerous mission to slay the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover). Its star-studded cast includes mo-cap versions of Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright, Alison Lohman, and, bizarrely, Angelina Jolie as a sexy-fied version of Grendel’s mother.
Watch “Beowulf” on Pluto TV now
BONUS: ‘Twilight of the Gods’ (Netflix)
Most of all, watching “The Northman” gave me the itch to revisit Netflix’s blood-soaked, Nordic-inspired animated series “Twilight of the Gods.” And don’t go writing this show off just because it’s animated, now; tonally, it’s probably the closest entry to “Game of Thrones” on this list — and with enough carnage to make the Battle of the Bastards look quaint.
The series follows mortal king Leif (voiced by Stuart Martin), who falls in love on the battlefield when he’s rescued by the formidable half-giant warrior Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks). On their wedding night, the pair narrowly escapes Thor’s fury, which kicks off a bloody quest of revenge. It’s mature in every sense of the word, and a must-watch if you prefer your mythic showdowns drenched in gore.
Watch “Twilight of the Gods” on Netflix now
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