Genre | Animation | Fantasy

Netflix’s Twilight of the Gods, an animated series steeped in Norse mythology, is an over-the-top, blood-soaked journey that seems determined to be edgy but ends up feeling like a half-baked attempt at adult entertainment.

Directed by Zack Snyder, the show pulls no punches with its gratuitous use of violence, nudity, and sexual content, but what it delivers in shock value, it sorely lacks in substance. Despite some strong voice acting, the series fails to deliver an interesting plot, making it hard to connect with any of the characters or care about the larger story. It’s the kind of show teenage boys would binge when their parents aren’t around, thinking it’s the pinnacle of “mature” content.

The story centers on Sigrid (voiced by Sylvia Hoeks), a half-giant warrior who swears revenge on the god of thunder, Thor (Pilou Asbæk), after he destroys her village and kills everyone at her wedding, including her family. Her fiancé, Leif (Stuart Martin), also survives, and together they go on a vengeful quest to bring Thor to justice.

Along the way, they pick up a ragtag group of warriors, including a sorceress (Seid-Kona, voiced by Jamie Clayton) and a blacksmith dwarf (Kristofer Hivju as Andvari). As you might expect from a Zack Snyder project, there are plenty of slow-motion battle scenes, gods clashing with mortals, and more blood and guts than any single show needs. But for all its flash, Twilight of the Gods stumbles at nearly every turn when it comes to storytelling.

First off, the show’s biggest issue is its obsession with violence. There’s nothing inherently wrong with gore or adult content in animated series, but it has to serve a purpose. In Twilight of the Gods, it’s mostly there for the shock factor and feels more like a crutch than a storytelling tool. Every episode is packed with unnecessary bloodshed and over-the-top sexual scenes, the kind you’d expect from something trying desperately to be “adult.”

But while it may succeed in that superficial sense, it lacks the depth or maturity to match. For all the show’s ambition, it comes off more as a juvenile fantasy—as if it were written for teenage boys more interested in watching bodies explode than in following a coherent story.

The plot, what little there is of it, feels like a mishmash of more successful series. If you’ve seen Game of Thrones, Blood of Zeus, or Castlevania, then you’ve seen the better versions of what Twilight of the Gods is trying to be. It borrows heavily from these shows, especially when it comes to its portrayal of gods as flawed, often brutal beings who treat mortals horribly.

Thor, in particular, is a one-dimensional brute. There’s no degree of emotion to his character; he’s simply bloodthirsty and angry all the time. The show tries to make him menacing, but he’s so over-the-top that it’s difficult to take him seriously. Loki fares slightly better, thanks to Paterson Joseph’s excellent voice work, but even he is limited by a script that doesn’t give him much room to grow as a character.

And that’s another major problem: the characters are flat, with no real development over the course of the series. Sigrid, who is supposed to be the emotional core of the show, is more of a caricature than a fully fleshed-out character. She’s driven by revenge, but that’s about the extent of her personality. There’s very little exploration of her inner life or motivations beyond wanting to kill Thor. The show is far more interested in throwing them into violent situations than in building their relationship in any meaningful way.

The animation style is on point. It’s visually striking, particularly in its battle scenes. The use of slow motion, while overused, does create some dramatic visuals, and the character designs for the gods and creatures are suitably grand and imposing. The color palette is mostly dark and drab, with lots of greys, blues, and browns, which makes the frozen Norse world feel fittingly lifeless. As the story shifts to different location, the color shifts appropriately, pulling us into the scenery. For a show that relies heavily on visuals, the animation quality is more than we’ve seen in other adult animated series.

One of the more redeeming qualities of Twilight of the Gods is its voice cast. Sylvia Hoeks delivers a strong performance as Sigrid, even if the material doesn’t give her much to work with. Pilou Asbæk makes Thor appropriately menacing, and Paterson Joseph brings some much-needed charm to Loki. Rahul Kohli as Egill and Kristofer Hivju as Andvari also do solid work, but like the rest of the cast, they’re held back by a script that doesn’t give their characters enough room to flourish.

The music, composed by Hans Zimmer, is another highlight, though it feels out of place at times. Zimmer’s score is epic, as you’d expect, but the show’s juvenile tone and excessive reliance on violence and sex make it feel like the music is wasted on the material.

Ultimately, Twilight of the Gods is a frustrating watch. It has all the ingredients for a great adult animated series—Norse mythology, epic battles, a great voice cast, and even a legendary composer. But it squanders all of that potential by focusing too much on gratuitous violence and shock value and not enough on story or developing its characters.

If you’re a fan of Zack Snyder’s style and enjoy animated shows with lots of blood and guts, then Twilight of the Gods might be worth checking out. But for anyone looking for a more mature, thoughtful take on Norse mythology, this one’s probably not worth your time.