End of May Movie Reviews (The Northman, The Innocents, Cyrano)
As we conclude May, let’s take a look at three very different films— a brutal Viking epic, a chilling Norwegian thriller about some super-powered children, and a musical that finds Peter Dinklage in love with the beautiful Roxanne.
The Northman (2022)
Focus Features, 137 minutes
Robert Eggers’ The Northman opened to widespread critical acclaim, but general audiences weren’t as impressed with it. After watching the film, it’s easy to see why. The Northman is way more of an arthouse film than a Hollywood blockbuster, despite what its theatrical trailer and star-studded cast would lead one to believe.
The Northman is based on a medieval Scandinavian legend, and it definitely feels like it’s loyal to its source material. In contrast is a show like Vikings, which feels like a Viking story that’s been somewhat refined to try to appeal to an American audience. The Northman is as artsy as it is brutal. This is definitely not a movie for everyone.
Alexander Skarsgård’s Amleth is not a happy camper.
The same can be said of Eggers’ prior two films, The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019). I liked The Witch as much as I strongly disliked The Lighthouse, so I was curious to see how I’d feel about Eggers’ third work. The answer is somewhere in the middle. The Northman is a slightly above average arthouse Viking epic. Its brutal/artsy tone reminded of Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2009 film, Valhalla Rising. Though I think that’s definitely the superior movie, this is still worthwhile for fans of Eggers prior works.
Grade: 6/10
The Innocents (2021)
IFC Midnight, 118 minutes
The Innocents is a Norwegian thriller about a group of children living in the same apartment complex who have supernatural powers. As with lots of films with child actors at their core, The Innocents is really reliant on how good (or bad) the children can act. Well, in this case, each of the four main child actors really excels at their craft.
The Innocents isn’t as fast-paced as horror-thriller films that American audiences may be used to, but it’s definitely never boring. There’s definitely some pretty dark moments in the film too, particularly since all of it involves children—so be prepared for that before you go in.
Overall, The Innocents is good, but not great, and a fine watch for horror-thriller fans who want something a little different.
Grade: 7/10
Cyrano (2021)
United Artists Releasing, 123 minutes
Cyrano is a musical romantic drama directed by Joe Wright and based off the play of the same name written by Erica Schmidt (itself based off of an older play). Schmidt is married to actor, Peter Dinklage, who stars as the title character in this film adaptation.
Dinklage is really good here, as is the rest of the cast. The sets and costume design are also impressive in what’s an all-around solid production. Cyrano wasn’t a hit at the box office, but it was well-reviewed and nominated for a variety of awards, which I think it deserved.
I’m not typically a big fan of musicals, but I really enjoyed Cyrano. It probably helps that the music for the play (and the film) was done by members of the National, and I tend to enjoy their music. There are definitely a few songs in Cyrano (like “Overcome” and “Wherever I Fall”) that are superior to those found in your average musical.
Grade: 8/10