Ever thought a mashup of Beowulf, spaceships, and Vikings was simply improbable? Well, think again because that happened as early as 2008. And now the sci-fi film based in Iron Age Norway is storming Netflix in the UK.
Netflix’s latest addition to its sci-fi arsenal, Outlander, defies expectations and plunges viewers into an exhilarating saga that blends the spirit of ancient Norse legends with the marvels of futuristic technology.
Directed by Howard McCain and written by Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain, this 2008 action-packed saga reimagines the story of Beowulf through a lens of intergalactic adventure, storming its way into Netflix UK’s top ten list of films with an irreverent fusion of Viking lore and extraterrestrial escapades.
Set against the rugged backdrop of Iron Age Norway, Outlander stars Jim Caviezel as Kainan, a warrior from a distant planet who crash-lands in Vendel-era Scandinavia on Earth with a terrifying alien predator in tow. Sophia Myles portrays Freya, a Norse princess caught in the crossfire of Kainan’s otherworldly conflict, while Jack Huston, Ron Perlman, and John Hurt round out the ensemble cast.
Ray Bennett of The Hollywood Reporter aptly describes it as “entertaining nonsense,” highlighting its “major league special effects, larger-than-life characters and inventive monsters that draw on the ‘Aliens’ and ‘Predator’ models.”
Of course, this does not take away from the work put in by the cast and crew. After playing protagonists in well-received films like The Thin Red Line, The Passion of the Christ, and The Count of Monte Cristo, Caviezel, who was still trying to find his footing in the big scheme of Hollywood, had to learn a dead language (Old Norse) for his role.
If you are a fan of switching off your mind while streaming action epics, you can tune into Outlander on Netflix. But first, catch the trailer here:
