The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die review

Retaining all of the charm — and carnage — of the acclaimed series while condensing it to a two-hour film, Seven Kings Must Die does right by fans of The Last Kingdom for the final (?) adventure of Uhtred, son of Uhtred.

Theoretically you could follow along with the story well enough without having seen an episode of The Last Kingdom, but that would be a disservice to one of the best binge worthy series on Netflix. It’s a brisk, “just one more episode” experience and is unpredictable enough that churning through the five seasons will hardly feel like prep work. If anything, it’s more of a “why didn’t anyone tell me about this awesome show earlier?”

So go ahead, enjoy The Last Kingdom and then come back fully ready to enjoy Seven Kings.

A number of years have passed since the events of Season 5. Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) and his pals, Sihtric (Arnas Fedaravicius) and Finan (Marc Rowan), are still reveling in their hard-fought battle to regain Uhtred’s ancestral home of Bebbanburg. Peace reigns in the land, but that’s rarely a long-term proposition.

The death of King Edward is all it takes for chaos to ignite all over again. It’s the moment Danish warrior king Anlaf (Pekka Strang) has been awaiting as he knows the death of a king marks the perfect opportunity to rally nations against England. With all these monarchs joining the battlefield the old prophecy of seven kings dying has never felt so imminent.

Edward’s first-born son, Aethelstan (Harry Gilby, Tolkien), is the rightful heir though he’s got to contend with the challenge from his half-brother, Aelfweard (Ewan Horrocks). It’s a good thing then that Aethelstan has the support and backing of his mentor, Uhtred, who hopes to prevent the brothers from going to war over the crown.

Uhtred doesn’t count on Aethelstand being negatively influenced by his advisor, Ingilmundr (Laurie Davidson). A puppet master like some of the most sinister in the series, Ingilmundr encourages Aethelstand to aggressively seize power and betray longtime allies in conquering the land. Can Uhtred save Aethelstand from fully crossing over to the dark side or is the boy he looked at like another son already lost?

Screenwriter Martha Hillier (who wrote 12 episodes of the series including the final three of Season 5) deserves a ton of credit for smoothly adapting Bernard Cornwell’s final three Saxon Stories novels into a two-hour movie. One that feels as rich and eventful as an entire season.  There’s the usual round of betrayals, shocking twists, disappointing character turns and heart wrenching deaths.

MORE:

• One Day as a Lion review
• The Mandalorian – Chapter 23: The Spies review
• Image Comics reviews 4/13/23 – Nocterra #13, The Ambassadors #2
• The Flash – Partners in Time review

Fans of the series know every season has a roller coaster of emotions, but ultimately ends in a rewarding note as the big bastard villain usually doesn’t make it to the next season. Hillier doesn’t see the need to break from tradition, so a relatively happy ending is all but assured. Character interplay is as solid as ever with well-timed humor that helps diffuse some of the drama instead of being an awkward distraction.

The biggest disappointment was scheduling changes prevented many series mainstays from returning for the film. Some like Hild, Edith and Lady Aelswith aren’t vital to the story, but would have been fun to have seen. Others who seemed destined to carry on the story after some of the established characters were no longer viable were also unable to appear.

Arguably the biggest loss was Sonya Cassidy who was unable to reprise her role as Queen Eadgifu requiring a recast with Elaine Cassidy (no relation). Elaine Cassidy is fine, but Sonya Cassidy really stood out in eight episodes of Season 5. Eadgifu has a significant role, and it puts a lot on Elaine Cassidy to establish her take on the character so quickly.

At least Aldhelm (James Northcote, The Imitation Game) and Father Pyrlig (Cavan Clerkin) are back. Uhtred’s eldest son and daughter don’t appear, but his youngest son, Osbert (Jacob Dudman), now takes their place besides their father on the battlefield.

Director Ed Bazalgette, who helmed the back end of Season 4, knows how to deliver epic battles. There’s a handy blueprint on making these massive battles more intimate with the fate of beloved characters hanging in the balance behind shield walls with stray spears and sword strikes just inches away from heartache. Bazalgette gets to stage the show’s take on the Battle of Brunanburh, the 937 battle that marked a major turning point in the unity of England.

Just as impactful are those quiet moments when Bazalgette lets his talented cast sit alone with their thoughts as their characters consider their next move.

Dreymon has made Uhtred one of the great modern era action characters. He remains honorable, a cunning strategist and a loyal ally, but the great warrior possibly might have lost a step or at least his passion for fighting. His battlefield prowess has never been Uhtred’s biggest strength — that’s always been his bonds with his friends who are closer than brothers, his family and others he loves.

Uhtred isn’t the cliche modern excessively flawed hero — he’s a man of his word and a leader who isn’t willing to ask others to do anything he isn’t willing to do himself. As always there’s some moments, Uhtred’s deep-rooted sense of honor causes him more grief, but that’s a trait that makes him so endearing. And with the constant changes in the series, it’s nice to be able to count on Rowan and Fedaravicius providing the show’s heart as Uhtred’s brothers-in-arms.

Seven Kings seems like the end of The Last Kingdom saga and if so, it’s a fine farewell. Still, with enough fan interest and calls for another movie or season, we might not have seen the last of Uhtred, his merry men or the next generation after all.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Photo Credit: Netflix