10 WTF Moments In Robert Eggers The Northman
1. Gudrún Exposes The Truth And Smooches Her Son
There's a lot to unpack with this scene. It starts with Amleth confronting his mother and declaring to her that he will murder his uncle and free her. In a shocking plot twist, Gudrún reveals that she was once a slave and that the previous king had raped her, resulting in the birth of Amleth. She informs Amleth that she was the one who begged Fjölnir to murder both the king and the prince and take over the kingdom.
Sure, that is a lot to take in, but it escalatess further when she tries to seduce her son by kissing him rather passionately and offering to be his king. Once rejected, the power-hungry queen lets out the creepiest of cackles as her now-confused son flees the hut, murdering Thorir in his sleep on the way out.
To say that this scene was intense would be a significant understatement. Viewers are left trying to process what happened and what might be going through the prince's head and what he will decide to do next. Who is the real enemy, and why did he kiss his mum back? So many questions.