Revenge. The deep-cutting emotion sits at the heart of so many stories, pushing the heartbroken and wronged to pursue vengeance. All too often, vengeance leads to murder. Casual vengeance just isn’t a thing. And The Northman is all about revenge. Robert Eggers‘ action epic follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. And in this exclusive clip from The Northman, we see the prelude to that murder. Watch as Fjölnir (Claes Bang) holds a sword to the neck of King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke).
Fratricide is never a good look. Though the clip doesn’t show the actual murder, we all know what happens next. The trailer shows the briefest glimpse of the execution. And without Fjölnir’s twisted deed, we wouldn’t have The Northman. Though Aurvandill shames Fjölnir, warning his brother that his ill-gotten attempt at leading the kingdom will fail… well, apparently Fjölnir does not care.
Amleth, Aurvandill’s young son, witnesses the tragedy. When he grows up, he seeks justice at any cost. Alexander Skarsgård portrays the adult Amleth. The Northman‘s trailer hints at Amleth’s absolute devotion to setting things right. He escaped as a young child, probably concerned Fjölnir would give him the same treatment Aurvandill. Retribution becomes the focus of his life. Besides exacting revenge for his father, he also wants to save his mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman).
“I will avenge you, father. I will save you, mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir.” It is quite the mantra.
In addition to the cast members mentioned above, The Northman also stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, and Björk. Early reactions to the film are enthusiastic, especially praising Skarsgård’s performance. He apparently goes “full animal.”
The Northman arrives in theaters on April 22, 2022.
Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.