Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Seven Kings Must Die’ on Netflix, a Bloody Finale to ‘The Last Kingdom’

Netflix’s new film Seven Kings Must Die officially completes the saga started in The Last Kingdom. Uhtred son of Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) might have finally taken back his father’s seat of Bebbanburg in The Last Kingdom Season 5 finale, but England still needs to be united under the rule of one king to finish Bernard Cornwall’s Saxon Chronicles. Will Uhtred of Bebbanberg and his stalwart companions survive one last battle? Will Last Kingdom fans be happy with the epic conclusion? Will viewers who don’t know their Aethelstans from their Aethelfleads understand what is going on in Seven Kings Must Die? All I know is destiny is all!

SEVEN KINGS MUST DIE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Seven Kings Must Die opens with the Danish Warrior-King Anlaf (Pekka Strong) quietly invading English shores with the help of his spy daughter Astrid (Agnes Born). (What schemes could he be up to?) But then we go to our hero’s seat: Bebbanburg.

Uhtred of Bebbanburg’s bestie Finan (Mark Rowley) is bragging that his wife Ingrith (Ilona Chevakova) has foreseen the future. She shyly says that in her dreams she has been told a prophecy: Seven kings and the woman you love must die before England can be united. Uhtred laughs this off as he doesn’t currently have a sidepiece, but his friends take the news of King Edward’s death to mean only six more have to go.

Edward’s death leaves Aethelstan (Harry Gilby), Uhtred’s former friend and ward, first in line to the throne. Uhtred is delighted because he has always wanted Aethelstan to unite the warring cultures of England, but there’s a catch. Edward’s widow Eadgifu (Elaine Cassidy) explains that Aethelstan is now under the spell of an ambitious Christian named Ingilmundr (Laurie Davidson). When Uhtred rushes to Aethelstan’s aid against his rebellious younger brother Aelfweard (Ewan Horrocks), the warrior sees just how sadly true this is. Aethelstan murders his own blood and devastates a whole city.

Aethelstan is pushed by Ingilmundr to conquer England in the name of Christianity. This doesn’t sit well with Uhtred, who was raised a pagan by the Danes. As Uhtred’s relationship with Aethelstan turns icy, the kings of Scotland, Wealas, Strathclyde, Orkney, the Isle of Man, and Shetland begin to forge an alliance to counter the young king’s increasingly tyrannical actions.

Destiny will bring Uhtred, his allies, his enemies, and Aethelstan to the Battle of Brunanburh, which would determine the future of England.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Well, Seven Kings Must Die feels an awful lot like a little show called The Last Kingdom. But if you’ve never watched that show, it’s got the energy of a low rent Braveheart or more politically complex version of Netflix’s Outlaw King. There’s battles a-plenty, tons of leather and fur, and oodles of bloodshed.

Performance Worth Watching: The single reason why The Last Kingdom endured so long on Netflix after the BBC cancelled it is Alexander Dreymon. The German-born actor’s charismatic turn as Uhtred is nothing short of electrifying. Here, he is no longer the arrogant warrior youth, lucking his way through life with his wits and luck. Instead, he’s older, wiser, and grappling with the sense that knocking skulls and king-making might indeed be a young man’s game. Dreymon’s Uhtred transcends most action performances to become the heart and soul of the whole damn project.

Memorable Dialogue: Hands down the best line in the entire film comes from Uhtred’s wisecracking Irish bestie Finan. After Uhtred’s iconic amber-hilted sword is stolen early in the film, Finan presents him with a new one. He lists off potential names for the new blade, including one “Uhtred Sword of Uhtred.” Uhtred son of Uhtred sadly doesn’t bite.

Sex and Skin: While Uhtred of Bebbanburg spent all five seasons of The Last Kingdom romancing the ladies, he strikes out in Seven Kings Must Die. There’s a brief flirtatious moment between him and the widowed queen, but Eadgifu tosses cold water on anyone’s match-making. However — and this is a spoiler — Aethelstan has a secret lover and this lover’s identity is important to the plot…and Aethelstan’s tyrannical temper tantrums.

Our Take: Look, as a casual Lost Kingdom fan, I enjoyed watching Uhtred and his boys take on one last score adventure. Was I lost part of the time? Sure. Do I know how to keep all the Saxon names apart? No. Did I adore watching Dreymon, Rowley, and Arnas Fedaravicius bond as Dark Ages bros? Yes. Seven Kings Must Die is a fitting, frenetic end to The Last Kingdom journey. My only concern is that it might not be as accessible to newcomers as the producers hope.

Our Call: If you are a Lost Kingdom fan, Seven Kings Must Die is a must watch! Stream It! But if you’ve never had the luxury of girlcrushing over Hild and didn’t recognize House of the Dragon‘s Ewan Mitchell as “baby monk,” maybe Skip It.