Three years after its box office disappointment, an epic Viking movie has found success on streaming, and is quickly sailing up the charts. Vikings have long been a source of great inspiration on the big screen, with tales of high adventure and epic battles. Norse mythology has also been a popular subject, with gods like Thor becoming pop culture icons.
While Vikings aren’t nearly as popular in cinema as they used to be, there is usually a new film every few years to help reignite interest. A few years before Nosferatu, director Robert Eggers tried to put his own spin on Viking lore. While it didn’t do so well in theaters, his historical epic is a bona fide streaming hit.
The Northman Is A Streaming Hit On HBO Max
Robert Eggers’ Viking Film Is In The Top 10
Three years after it had a disappointing run in theaters, Robert Eggers’ The Northman has struck a chord with audiences and is in the top 10 on HBO Max. As noted by Flix Patrol, the mythological epic has reached the number six spot, pᴀssing other older films like Man of Steel and Grown Ups 2.
The Northman is also in impressive company on HBO Max’s top 10, and it placed sixth behind unstoppable juggernauts like Sinners, Wicked, and The Minecraft Movie. Overall, the film is sixth in the global rankings, but is currently in the top spot in 13 countries, including Sweden, Poland, and Romania.
The success comes after an underwhelming box office performance for The Northman, where the film managed to gross around $70 million (via Box Office Mojo) on a reported budget that was also around $70 million. This means the film lost a considerable amount of money when factoring in marketing and additional costs.
Despite its poor box office performance, The Northman was quite popular with critics and the film earned an impressive 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was, however, divisive with audience members, and it landed a much less impressive 60% score from viewers.
Our Take On The Northman’s Streaming Success
Nosferatu Likely Has A Lot To Do With Its Popularity
Coming off a string of indie hits like The Witch and The Lighthouse, audiences clearly weren’t ready for Robert Eggers’ large-scale mythological epic. However, now that the filmmaker has proven himself to be a blockbuster director with Nosferatu, I don’t find it surprising that fans are finally coming around to his divisive Viking revenge film.
Viewers didn’t know what to think of it back in 2022, largely because they weren’t aware of the director’s work.
Eggers has never compromised his vision, and The Northman is not an easily-digestible popcorn flick. Viewers didn’t know what to think of it back in 2022, largely because they weren’t aware of the director’s work. Thankfully, Eggers’ most underrated movie is getting the due it deserves, and it has a real chance to stay on the charts for a while.
Source: Flix Patrol
