An uncompromising revenge-fueled epic quenches its thirst for blood on streaming

Historical epics have tapered off in popularity since the post-Gladiator boom, but not all of the best examples from the 21st Century came packing blockbuster-sized budgets, with Nicholas Winding Refn’s 2009 effort Valhalla Rising a pulse-pounding example.

Made on a shoestring budget of under $6 million, the narrative is as stripped back and lean as Mads Mikkelsen’s protagonist One Eye, with the character’s straightforward moniker neatly summing up the film as a whole. You get exactly what you’re promised, and in the case of the sweeping revenge saga, it involves a lot of blood and guts.

Set in ancient Scandinavia, One Eye incites an uprising against the people who enslaved him, teaming up with a band of religious fanatics along the way. Setting off on the road to Jerusalem, the motley crew face challenges both from outside and within along the way, racking up quite the body count along the way to go with the cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

One of Mikkelsen’s most underrated performances, Valhalla Rising didn’t make much of an impact at all the first time around, but it’s come back with an axe-wielding vengeance on streaming. Per FlixPatrol, the uncompromising tale of one man’s destiny has become one of the most-watch movies on the OSN platform, opening itself up to a whole new audience in the process.

Probably not for the faint of heart, but for anyone who needs their thirst for blood satiated in visually dazzling and unflinchingly violent fashion, there are few better unsung gems waiting to be dusted off and given a new lease of life.