Skarsgard and Kidman star in a wild beast of a Viking saga

In 1982, “Conan the Barbarian” enticed audiences with a poster promising four phases of a rough man’s rough life: “Thief. Warrior. Gladiator. King.”

“The Northman,” which wanders narratively but, as cinema, basically eats “Conan” for breakfast, follows what might be considered a similar career path: Prince, followed by Slave, then Viking Marauder, and finally Newly Sensitized Lover and Potential Family Man.

Alexander Skarsgard takes the title role, as well as taking a fair bit of on-screen punishment en route to a climactic battle at the Gates of Hel (one “l” in this hell, for the record). There, at Hel, Amleth, played by Skarsgard, wields his mighty sword against his kingdom-usurping uncle (Claes Bang) surrounded by rivers of flaming molten lava. Robert Eggers creates worlds that used to be, or never were, but thanks to his chosen medium, there they are, vivid and alive.

The movie is not for stubbornly mainstream tastes or the eccentricityresistant. This is director Eggers’ third feature, following his exquisite debut “The Witch” (2016), set in the 1630s, and the late 19th-century oddcouple nightmare “The Lighthouse” (2019). Shot in Ireland and Iceland on a large budget, “The Northman” put Eggers through a new set of paces, involving test screenings and studio input and the pressure to deliver.

Eggers and his coscreenwriter, the Icelandic poet and novelist Sjon, have made a movie that reminds you of many other movies, from “The Vikings” to “Spartacus,” and myths, and even plays: Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” comes from the same medieval Scandinavian legends as “The Northman” does.

The reason I like “The Northman” more than any number of other big-budget period bloodbaths, from “Conan the Barbarian” to “Braveheart,” lies in Eggers’ sly juggling of an audience’s rooting interests. Eggers really isn’t into rooting interests as a story driver. The downside of that can be detected in Skarsgard’s fierce but narrow performance. But the film’s baked-in macho violence feels different here — a little more skeptical, with fewer triumphal “kills” than usual.

MPAA rating: R (for strong bloody violence, some sexual content and nudity) Running time: 2:20

How to watch: In theaters April 21