A very slow and methodical “hero” origin story, Mortal approaches its premise with an unexpectedly solemn tone. In many ways it almost feels like a quiet, introspective X-Men film: less focused on spectacle and more on the emotional weight of discovering power you can’t control.
Eric’s abilities feel unusually tangible. The way his powers manifest is sudden and explosive, yet grounded enough to feel almost real, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen portrayed this way before. Those violent bursts of power only deepen the character’s quiet, eerie nature and reinforce just how broken and isolated he really is.
The story itself is admittedly thin, and the pacing is slow for much of the runtime, but as Eric begins to use his powers more frequently the film becomes increasingly engaging. At times, Eric’s powers even take on the feeling of a horror film; when they appear, there’s a sense that something unstoppable has already been set in motion and it’s too late to escape.
The twist at the end caught me completely off guard and gives the ending the catastrophic weight the story has been building towards all along, but it sadly ends very abruptly. I was hoping for a little more Norse lore and destruction, but still an enjoyable watch nonetheless
A very slow and methodical “hero” origin story, Mortal approaches its premise with an unexpectedly solemn tone. In many ways it almost feels like a quiet, introspective X-Men film: less focused on spectacle and more on the emotional weight of discovering power you can’t control.
Eric’s abilities feel unusually tangible. The way his powers manifest is sudden and explosive, yet grounded enough to feel almost real, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen portrayed this way before. Those violent bursts of power only deepen the character’s quiet, eerie nature and reinforce just how broken and isolated he really is.
The story itself is admittedly thin, and the pacing is slow for much of the runtime, but as Eric begins to use his powers more frequently the film becomes increasingly engaging. At times, Eric’s powers even take on the feeling of a horror film; when they appear, there’s a sense that something unstoppable has already been set in motion and it’s too late to escape.
The twist at the end caught me completely off guard and gives the ending the catastrophic weight the story has been building towards all along, but it sadly ends very abruptly. I was hoping for a little more Norse lore and destruction, but still an enjoyable watch nonetheless
