Valhalla Rising

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Valhalla Rising

Released Jul 23, 2010

1h 40m

Action

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

70%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

49%

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10,000+ Ratings

In 11th-century Scandinavia, an enslaved man dubbed One Eye (Mads Mikkelsen) because of an old facial wound stages a violent uprising against those who imprisoned him. One Eye links up with Eirik (Ewan Stewart) and other Christian fanatics who aim to use their muscle to spread God's word. Headed for Jerusalem, One Eye and his shipmates must cope with crew infighting and attacks from the coastline. But the journey's challenges are only a harbinger of even greater brutality.

Critics Consensus

Visually gripping and anchored by a magnetic Mads Mikkelsen, Valhalla Rising delves into violence and faith in brutally uncompromising fashion.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Refn tries to turn his protagonist into a Christ figure at the climax, which might have worked better if the rest of the film weren’t an endless slog of mud, blood, and graphic disembowelment.

Aug 10, 2022

Full Review

Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Mikkelsen verifies that, even without saying a word, he's an unnervingly unhinged presence.

Rated: B

May 31, 2011

Full Review

Ty Burr

Boston Globe

If only the pieces added up to an experience that sticks and that didn't finally succumb to a shrug of entropy.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 29, 2010

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Though gorgeously shot in Scotland to capture hazy and bleak landscapes of green mountains and dense forests, the film’s beauty hardly compensates for its inaccessible tone.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 9, 2023

Full Review

Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Episode 27: Valhalla Rising / Bronson / Starred Up / True Detective S3

Rated: 78/100

Sep 9, 2021

Full Review

Víctor López G.

Espinof

A unique sample of that grand cinema that trascends its status a a story told in images to be considered a true experience.

Rated: 9/10

May 15, 2021

Full Review

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Ken W

Visually superb, this is a brutal film with stunning performance by Mads Mikkelsen, without speaking throughout the film, he portays the One Eye character with subtlety and quiet menacing brutality to all, except for the boy. I drawn in from the beginning and was held until the end. A wonderful tour de force from Mikkelsen

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/08/24

Full Review

Roberto P

A very misunderstood film. It left me with the sense of how empty, meaningless, brutal and cold the world can be without some kind of belief, either to act or to comfort ourselves at the end. It show cases a wonderful Mads Mikkelsen, I've been a fan of his work for many years.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/01/24

Full Review

Montague J

Oof. A navel-gazing "art house" film, packed with self-importance and desperate to showcase its symbolism. Sadly that left no room for a plot. Student film vibes abound.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

Jason T

I don't get the bad reviews. One of the the most unique films I have ever seen. Watched multiple times. It's very different so maybe people who need the same studio recycled script over and over don't like it. If you like different, watch it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/14/23

Full Review

Craig M

Late at night, when you need not get up early to work, and feel like a brooding reflection upon the brutality of mankind, pour a whiskey, sip it very slowly, and stay in the mood of this film. This is a slow-moving partially inverse-Apocalypto, all leading to the same end.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/29/23

Full Review

R 9

Rubbish! A true waste of 90 minutes... and of Mads Mikkelsen! It evidently attempts similar as to what we would later see in 2022 with (the excellent) 'The Northman', though simply falls flat in every department for me. The whole production just looks so cheap and low-budget (which it wasn't), without even noting the (admittedly intended) pure misery of the look of it all too. Editing, notably with the needless chapter breaks, is also a negative. As mentioned already, a mute Mikkelsen is completedly wasted... may as well have cast Joe Bloggs. The rest of the cast have very little to work with either, though minutely interesting to see Gary Lewis and Jamie Sives involved. I wouldn't say anyone onscreen deteriorates the film (it does so itself), but they also don't do anything to improve it either. I was anticipating 'Valhalla Rising' to be an entertaining one. It wasn't. Thankfully they had the awareness (or were restricted?) in keeping it 'short' at 90 minutes... a dreary 90mins, albeit.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

Full Review

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Nicolas Winding Refn

Director

Mads Mikkelsen

One-Eye

Gary Lewis

Kare

Jamie Sives

Gorm

Ewan Stewart

Eirik

Alexander Morton

Barde

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Synopsis

In 11th-century Scandinavia, an enslaved man dubbed One Eye (Mads Mikkelsen) because of an old facial wound stages a violent uprising against those who imprisoned him. One Eye links up with Eirik (Ewan Stewart) and other Christian fanatics who aim to use their muscle to spread God's word. Headed for Jerusalem, One Eye and his shipmates must cope with crew infighting and attacks from the coastline. But the journey's challenges are only a harbinger of even greater brutality.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Producer: Johnny Andersen, Henrik Danstrup
Screenwriter: Roy Jacobsen, Nicolas Winding Refn
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: BBC Films
Genre: Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 23, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 28, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.5K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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