Mortal (2020)

Mortal feels like a superhero origin story stripped of spandex and dropped into the stark, beautiful Norwegian wilderness, where every crackle of electricity and roll of thunder carries real weight. André Øvredal builds tension with a grounded, almost eerie realism—letting the action hit harder because it’s rooted in fear, confusion, and the uneasy sense that something ancient is waking up inside an ordinary young man. Nat Wolff gives the film its pulse, playing Eric not as a cocky chosen one but as someone genuinely terrified of what he might do next, while the movie’s Norse-myth atmosphere hums in the background like a dark lullaby. It’s not for viewers looking for quippy, crowd-pleasing spectacle, but if you want a moody, myth-tinged thriller that earns its power the old-fashioned way—through dread, wonder, and consequences—this one grabs you and doesn’t let go.

Mortal clearly wants to be a grounded, Nordic take on the “powerful outsider” superhero origin story, mixing Norwegian myth with a moody thriller vibe. The problem is it often feels like it’s stalling for time: the pacing is heavy, the tone wobbles between procedural drama and big mythic spectacle, and the mythology teases more depth than the script actually delivers. If you’re hoping for a tight, inventive fantasy-action ride, this may feel derivative and undercooked, with long stretches of brooding in place of momentum. That said, André Øvredal brings some striking atmosphere and a few genuinely cool power moments, so it can work if you’re patient and mainly here for mood, scenery, and a slow-burn setup.