Following his one-two punch in elevated psychological horror with The Witch(2016) and The Lighthouse(2019), up-and-coming indie auteur Robert Eggers is back with a new Norse epic unlike any we’ve seen on the big screen in recent years, The Northman. In the newest episode of The Cinematic Schematic, host Caleb Masters is joined by a roundtable including The Cinematropolis‘s own Daniel Bokemper, Geek Girl Features‘ Chelsea Ratterman, and first-time joiner, Craig Sanger, the critic-at-large for WWLS-FM, KYIS-FM, and KATT-FM, to pick up the sword and put on the sandals for an in-depth review of the film followed by a spoiler-filled discussion.



Whether it’s the History Channel’s breakout hit Vikings starting in 2013, or the more recent exploration of Norse mythology in the video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Vikings have continued to be at the height of their popularity in pop culture, possibly second only to the era of Conan the Barbarian when it kickstarted a similar craze in 1982.



It’s been a while since we’ve seen a wave of “historic” war epics with this sort of production budget on the big screen(The Northman is reportedly costing Focus Features somewhere between $70 and $90 million), and with mid-budget dramas like this becoming less frequent, the opportunity to create a non-IP hit is becoming increasingly challenging. Does this Viking revenge drama create an impactful filmgoing experience in 2022? Tune into the full spoiler-free review to get our recommendations.







Special Guests







Craig Sanger



Critic-at-Large, KOKH-TV Fox 25 (OKC), WWLS-FM, KYIS-FM, and KATT-FM



Critics Choice Association Member



Follow Craig on Twitter @craigsanger











Chelsea Ratterman



Writer, Geek Girl Features



Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Member (Treasurer)



Follow Chelsea on Twitter @cinephilechels











Daniel Bokemper



Contributor at The Cinematropolis



Follow Daniel on Twitter @Daniel_Bokemper







About The Northman



According to IMDB, The Northman can be described as:



From visionary director Robert Eggers comes The Northman, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder.













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