Name: The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
Director: Ed Bazalgette
Released: 2023-04-14T12:30:00

In The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, Uhtred must pick sides in the fight to unite England under one King. The film is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

King Edward has passed away, leaving the succession of his lands in doubt as his sons Aelfward and Aethelstan fight for the throne. After Aethelstan prevails, he begins to show a ruthless streak akin to a tyrant.

Uhtred tries to convince his former ward and protege of a better way to rule but Aethelstan is being influenced by a man named Ingilmundr who also has a romantic relationship with the king.

Ingilmundr uses religion to sway Aethelstan but the truth is that he is actually a spy for Anlaf, a Danish warrior-king who unites the other kings of the land to fight against Aethelstan.

Uhtred must play Kingmaker once more and ensure that England is not left fractured by the oncoming war.

Performances

Alexander Dreymon stars as Uhtred, the noble protagonist who uses his wits and honor to avoid needless bloodshed. Dreymon has been playing this role for a while now and has settled comfortably into the portrayal.

Harry Gilby is promising as Aethelstan, the young king who is easily swayed. Gilby excels as the paranoid monarch who reacts harshly when told the truth rather than accept his mistakes.

Laurie Davidson and Pekka Strang play Ingilmundr and Anlaf respectively and are the most prominent antagonists of the film. They’re equally effective, yet do not occupy enough screen time to truly shine.

There is an extensive cast that pulls their own weight in this film that doesn’t need to rely on the performances as much.

Positives

The film is cinematically brilliant with the essence of medieval England captured magnificently. From the costumes and locations to the intricacies of war, the film showcases the thoroughness of the research team.

Multiple scenes will remain in the memory long after because of how majestically they are depicted. The shine of amber on Uhtred’s sword in the middle of a dull gray battlefield and the moment he stands between the waking world and Valhalla are beautiful.

The score is similarly impressive with some truly inspired choices. The sound department is responsible for producing an auditory spectacle on the screen.

Negatives

Trying to reach a suitable conclusion to a series with a feature film means there will be certain concessions made and there are moments when the film feels rushed or overstuffed while trying to balance things out.

Verdict

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is a worthy conclusion to the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg even if historical dramas set during the rise of Christianity in medieval England are a genre that is slowly getting more saturated. Visually, the film is truly remarkable and several intricate details deserve to be appreciated.