Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli

I took an oath for my 2024 New Year’s resolution: Viking movie marathon. Samurai flicks — we’ve got ‘em in spades. Vikings? Not so much — or so I thought. Turns out, there’s a Viking goldmine out there!

Kicked off with Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli (Icelandic: Útlaginn), ‘cause it’s free to watch on YouTube (also on The Internet Archive). Video quality’s rough and lossy as hell, but who cares? Bonus — it’s got a Yuletide scene, making this a Christmas flick!

You are a changed man. You are obsessed with killing.

Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli delves into the Gísla saga, a blood feud set in 10th-century Iceland. Directed by the Icelandic maestro Ágúst Guðmundsson, hailed as a Norse culture masterpiece. Clothing, homes, ritual magic — it’s a damn Viking feast. Oh, and did I mention hockey? Or is it snow lacrosse? Characters speak Icelandic, adding the charm. There’s a lot of slapping and fucking in this movie, and for a film that’s about revenge, it’s hilarious.

I’m knee-deep in Viking lore, but this movie might challenge an audience unfamiliar with the sagas. Many characters are hard to keep track of, and rituals need to be explained. But overall, Outlaw nails it. No doubt Robert Eggers had this on repeat prepping for The Northman. Other filmmakers, pay attention — this is the Viking movie we’ve been craving. More of this, please!