After the critical success of The Northman, there's some question behind the wonderful casting for the film, including Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claes Bang and Anya Taylor-Joy. Each actor has had a long history of success on-screen, and Taylor-Joy seems to be the youngest of the main cast with less experience. Although she's relatively new to the movie industry, she's received much attention and praise for her previous performances, earning the title of scream queen after her debut performance in the 2015 horror film The Witch.
Taylor-Joy has had amazing accomplishments at her young age, having acquired several awards since her start in the industry. The Witch was a supernatural horror film, and Taylor-Joy starred as the daughter of a man who struggled to take care of his family after being banished from a Puritan colony. Taylor-Joy's performance was amazing, as she used a 17th-century accent during her compelling performance in the film. In The Witch, their family suffered from the results of black magic, and her father consistently blamed her for it. The birth of a witch was an interesting aspect of the film, and Taylor-Joy perfectly fit the mold.
Her experience with The Witch heavily prepared her for her performance as Olga in The Northman, as Taylor-Joy took on another accent quite well. Olga's village was taken over by berserkers before she and her fellow villagers were sold to Amleth's uncle as slaves. The Northman also involves plenty of dark magic, although Olga is an active witch in this tale. She uses her powers to help Amleth and seek revenge on the people who stole her from her home. Taylor-Joy's professionalism in each film is incredibly clear as she shifts from helpless child in The Witch to powerful sorceress in The Northman.
Before landing her role in The Northman, Taylor-Joy also starred in another psychological thriller, working alongside other well-known names in the industry, including M. Night Shyamalan and James McAvoy. Split warranted a completely different performance from Taylor-Joy as she played a tragic teen with a dark past. Kevin (McAvoy) captured Casey (Taylor-Joy) and her frenemies with the purpose of killing and consuming them. Split mixed gore with psychological horror, creating moments where the audience didn't know what was, especially when "The Beast" appears with super strength.
Taylor-Joy was a wonderful counter to McAvoy in the film, as her acting ability is beyond her years. Her performance was believable, and she did so amazingly well that she landed a spot in the sequel Glass as one of the main cast. Glass didn't perform as well with critics as Split, but Taylor-Joy had already received seven awards for her original performance in The Witch. Taylor-Joy had since starred in the Netflix original series The Queen's Gambit and played a few roles in a variety of movies before receiving a call from The Northman's director Robert Eggers, who she worked with during The Witch, to star in a Viking epic historical film with strong thriller and horror elements.
The last decade has been a whirlwind for Taylor-Joy as she's taken on a variety of styles and roles, showcasing her talent in whatever medium she's chosen to work in. Her status as a scream queen is well-earned, and she could remain the face of horror as the genre continues to grow and change. The Northman has received critical acclaim since its initial release, as many critics claim they couldn't look away from the film. Taylor-Joy is set to star in Amsterdam and The Menu, which will both be released in 2022, involving more star-studded casts to add to her already impressive resume.
To enjoy the performance of The Northman's star-studded cast, find it streaming on Peacock.