Zack Snyder is back, and this time he’s delivering his signature bloody battles and eyebrow-raising sex scenes through the lens of animation in Twilight of the Gods. The new eight-episode series feels like Netflix’s Norse-themed answer to their own hit Greek pantheon-based animated show Blood of Zeus, complete with scheming gods, brave mortals rallying against them, and clever twists on familiar mythology. Following the critical failure of Snyder’s Rebel Moon duology, Twilight of the Gods feels like a long-overdue win for the writer-director, whose lofty ideas are often maligned before they ever hit screens.
The glorious visuals of Twilight of the Gods, which was co-created by Snyder, Jay Oliva, and Eric Carrasco, hail from the Oscar-nominated animation studio Xilam Animation, which previously garnered praise for their Netflix-acquired R-rated animated feature I Lost My Body. The use of 2D animation throughout the series crafts an almost nostalgic sensation, hearkening back to an era of animation where it was the norm, not the exception. While most of Snyder’s previous body of work was bogged down by drab color grading and muddy visuals, Twilight of the Gods is vibrant and full of life, even in its darkest moments.
Twilight of the Gods revolves around Sigrid’s (Sylvia Hoeks) revenge-filled quest to slay the God of Thunder, Thor (Pilou Asbæk), after he savagely murdered her entire family on the night she was to marry King Leif (Stuart Martin). Norse mythology, like most religious canon, is largely focused on the masculine, which isn’t a surprise considering their society was a patriarchal one. What is a surprise is that Snyder opted to make Sigrid the lead of the series. This is, as the finale says, “The Song of Sigrid.” Leif vows to follow her wherever she leads him, no matter the cost, which is the sort of blind devotion these stories often reserve for female characters, pining after the brawny heroes. In fact, it’s Sigrid who makes the maidens swoon, not her would-be husband.
Loki and Egill Are Standout Characters in ‘Twilight of the Gods’
With Leif at her side, Sigrid puts together a rag-tag crew of crusaders with their own motives, tragic backstories, and impressive abilities, in her do-or-die crusade against Thor and the gods that aid and abet him. This includes recruiting the rune-wielding Egill (Rahul Kohli) and the witch Seid-Kona (Jamie Clayton), who are perhaps the most notable of their band of unlikely warriors. Egill is clearly a riff on the Viking-era poet and sorcerer from Egil’s Saga, though few scholars could have foreseen that his first true arrival into modern pop culture would reimagine him as a sexy, tragic, bisexual mess.
In addition to the mortals that Sigrid recruits, she finds an unlikely ally in the God of Mischief himself, Loki (Paterson Joseph), who has his own reasons for wanting Thor out of the picture. Out of all the Norse gods that Twilight of the Gods introduces audiences to, Loki is undoubtedly the standout, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has even the barest familiarity with Norse mythology. Like Sigrid, he has felt the wrath of Thor’s vendetta against his kind, and his family paid the price for his desire to have a life of his own. He is a tragic figure, and it’s hard not to feel for him, even as he lashes out against his would-be allies. Episode 5, in particular, should satisfy those who have hungered for a more true-to-lore approach to the trickster god.
The ensemble cast is rather robust and at times over-stuffed. Each character may have a distinctive look and voice, but it’s easy for them to begin to bleed together across the eight episodes, especially as there isn’t nearly enough time to become fully invested in their past and (sometimes short-lived) present. Egill and Loki may be the most memorable of the recurring characters, but Hervor (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) and Hel (Jamie Chung) leave quite an impression too. As with modern-day live-action series, Twilight of the Gods will leave you pining for 23-episode seasons that give the audience time to fully meet each character.
Zack Snyder Makes Bold Choices With ‘Twilight of the Gods’
Twilight of the Gods is exactly what you expect when it comes to Snyder’s brand of storytelling, particularly when it comes to adult content. Early on, he promised that the series would have “lots of sex,” but the scenes are nothing to clutch pearls over. Yes, there are threesomes aplenty, but they all serve the plot. Whether they are (quite literally) stripping insecurities bare or laying the groundwork for heroic motivation, the intimacy of these moments is vital to fleshing out who these characters are. When it comes to the violence, the blood and gore are more in line with Castlevania, rather than Invincible.
For audiences who only know of Thor through the MCU, Twilight of the Gods’ take on the hammer-wielding deity may come as a shock. While Norse mythology presents Thor as ambivalent toward mankind, his well-documented malice towards giants takes center stage in this series, and it’s an unsettling sight to behold. Snyder’s vision may take liberties with Norse mythology, but he does stay fairly true to the essence of the ideas and mores associated with the religion.
Nestled within the gore and gristle of the series, there are some highly compelling concepts that Snyder toys with. Namely, dashing the idea that Valhalla is a warrior’s rest after they fall on the battlefield. Instead, it’s framed that they are leaving behind one army to be conscripted by a vengeful god who has little care for them. It’s a neat twist, and one that will surely ruffle feathers. While Twilight of the Gods is presented as “a mythical world of great battles, great deeds, and great despair,” there are elements to the latter half of the season that call into question whether this world is truly meant to be a mythical version of our own world. After all, it wouldn’t be Snyder without grand allusions to the crucifixion of Christ.
When it was first announced that Hans Zimmer would lend his musical talents to Twilight of the Gods’ soundtrack, I had an inkling that Netflix had something epic on the horizon, and I was right. Sure, he also lent his musical genius to Army of the Dead, but the German composer has crafted some of the most iconic soundtracks; from Gladiator to Top Gun: Maverick to Dune: Part One (and Two) to nearly 250 projects in between. Here, he crafts a beautiful score that supports the epic, otherworldly visuals laid out by the animators. The only flaw in the entirety of the series’ soundtrack is not the fault of Zimmer, but rather, an entirely unexpected needle drop featuring MC Hammer. Not only did it feel anachronistic for the series, but it was a complete disservice to the atmosphere created by Zimmer’s score. For the scene in question, the song choice did make sense, but at a cost.
Is ‘Twilight of the Gods’ Worth the Watch?
If you are a fan of Blood of Zeus but have been pining for a series steeped in Norse mythology instead, then Twilight of the Gods is absolutely a must-watch. If you don’t like Snyder’s very distinctive storytelling style, then Twilight of the Gods isn’t for you. If you are Snyder-curious and willing to give him a chance after disliking any of his previous work, then you may be in luck with Twilight of the Gods. It is, undoubtedly, one of Snyder’s best “original” projects, perhaps because it is rooted in something that is largely familiar to the audience, at least those who have some basic understanding of Norse mythology. Animation also seems to give Snyder and his co-creators the freedom to be more adventurous with the plot.
Twilight of the Gods isn’t without its faults, though they are few and far between. The series suffers from the same issue that struck down Rebel Moon’s full potential: an overstuffed cast of extremely cool characters who never get their moment in the spotlight. This is certainly the case for the interchangeable band of warriors in Sigrid’s crew, but also noticeable among those surrounding Thor and Loki. Even Odin (John Noble) feels underwritten, relying upon what the audience knows from outside the series to establish him as an intimidating force. Should Netflix opt to greenlight a second season, there’s plenty of room for further development of the remaining characters as the story progresses.
Overall, Twilight of the Gods is quite enjoyable. Sigrid is a fantastic lead character, and it’s great to see a strong female lead who is allowed to seek revenge and have a beautiful romance (two-fold, in fact). That isn’t to say that this element doesn’t lack issues, because some very minor elements felt unnecessary — namely, where threats of rape occur, though, blessedly, there is no real follow-through with those threats. This may be historically accurate for a time period where women had no rights and were bartered off like livestock to the highest bidder, but this is a series filled to the brim with magic, godly mayhem, and the literal underworld. It would only undercut the strength established by constructing a world around a character like Sigrid. It’s clear that Snyder and co. have a great respect for Norse mythology, all the while following the trend of using it as the bones to build a much more rich and diverse story.
Twilight of the Gods is streaming now on Netflix.
Watch on Netflix
