Epic, all-encompassing filmmaking unlike anything seen in theatres today, The Northman tells its story of brutal revenge with a potent blend of Scandinavian mythology, sword-swinging action, and Shakespearean dramatics.

Based on the Scandinavian legend of Amleth (which in turned inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet), The Northman blends the brute of John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian and the mysticism of John Boorman’s Excalibur in a Viking movie that is as much about old-world religion as it is a tale of revenge, in which questing warrior Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) receives help in the form of three witches who foretell prophecies of destiny.

Swearing vengeance upon the head of his uncle Fjohir (Claes Bang) for the murder of his father King Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke) and enslavement of his mother Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman), the hulking Amleth schemes his way into Fjohir’s isolated isle village where he dispatches his enemies with extreme prejudice.

The Northman is a film as strange as it is engrossing, the use of Norse mysticism creating a world ancient in spirit and brutal in violence. Filmed in varied locations in Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, and Iceland, director Robert Eggars along with cinematographer John Blaschke (The Lighthouse) capture the greys, the mist, and the ancient landscapes upon which this tale of mysticism and destiny take place.

Skarsgard delivers one of his best turns yet as Amleth, blending hulking brutality with moments of introspection as he encounters supernatural elements beyond his comprehension, along with the legacy of a kingdom savagely taken from him. Good too is Anya-Taylor Joy as Olga of the Birch Forest, a soothsayer and slave who finds love and solace in Amleth’s arms. Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe leave an impression in minor roles, especially Dafoe who takes his penchant for portraying strange characters to new grimacing heights.

Eggers, who previously impressed with The Witch and The Lighthouse, has forever changed the Viking film with The Northman, an intoxicating and epic blend of violence, mysticism, and breathtaking visuals that establishes the presence of a heavyweight filmmaker whose distinctive vision is needed now more than ever.