It’s a great time to check out the film, which has a strong Irish connection.

Our TV movie pick for tonight (Monday, 17 March) is The Northman, one of the greatest action movies of the decade so far.

Co-written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The Witch, the upcoming Nosferatu), the Viking film is based on Norse and Scandinavian legend and is set at the turn of the 10th century in Iceland.

Starring an absolutely ripped Alexander Skarsgård, he plays Amleth – who as a boy watched his king father (Ethan Hawke) be murdered by another family member (Claes Bang).

Narrowly escaping assassins, the young prince fled from home and grew up to become a vicious Viking warrior.

Following an encounter with a mysterious prophet (Bjork), the now-adult Amleth sets out to fulfil his oath to avenge his father – with the help of a female slave (Anya-Taylor Joy).

Released in 2022, The Northman’s stellar cast also includes Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe and Irish actress Olwen Fouéré.

And that’s not the movie’s only connection to the Emerald Isle, as it was mostly shot in Northern Ireland.

Holding an impressive 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, The Northman earned particular praise for its hard-hitting action set-pieces, its ferocious lead turn from Skarsgård, as well as the immersive and primal ways Eggers captured the tone of Norse mythology for the big screen.

And with the filmmaker’s new version of Nosferatu landing in cinemas next month, what better time to check out his previous film?

The Northman is airing on Film4 tonight at 9pm. It should also be available to stream on Channel 4’s website after it airs.

You can also check out JOE’s interview with Skarsgård and Taylor-Joy for the film right here:

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