Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THE NORTHMAN’

Naked Volcano Fight

The Northman is a wild, Viking fever dream. So, if you’re a fan of their mythology and lore, you will probably love it.

If not, then The Northman is a tough one to recommend. It is loaded with weird imagery and historical Viking rituals that will make little to no sense if you’re not familiar with them.

Hence, it’s disappointing box office return. It grossed just $69.6 million on a budget of $90 million. Though those numbers were both highs for director Robert Eggers, the former makes it a flop.

Despite its financial stumble, The Northman is a wonderful film to look at. Shot in various locations across Europe, it is, quite simply, a beautiful film. Sadly, that visual splendor is muddled by the morally grey characters who inhabit it.

Regardless, it is a film that boasts two naked men fighting in a volcano; and that’s just not something you get to see every day.

Now, sit back, hack open an Icelandic White Ale from Einstok Beer Co., and consult the severed head of wisdom! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Chumpzilla, Capt. Cash, and Bling Blake are howling at the moon in our underwear!

This Week’s Segments:

Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Conquer your fate! (00:00)
Lingering Questions – We discuss why this film failed to find commercial success. (39:32)
The “War Raven” Trivia Challenge – The Double Turn Podcast hits someone with a knattleikr stick, and then Chumpzilla challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (59:56)
Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We continue “Hops and Massive 2022 Flops,” with a tale centuries in the making, Three Thousand Years of Longing! (1:09:14)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—Egger’s desire for more full frontal combat and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, Amazon Music, and more!