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Game of Thrones meets Macbeth in Netflix’s Seven Kings Must Die. The movie acts as a sequel and conclusion to Bernard Cornwell ’s novel The Last Kingdom, which has been adapted into a Netflix show. If you haven’t seen the show’s five seasons, fret not — Seven Kings Must Die is a standalone film, so you can enjoy it without committing to watching The Last Kingdom.

The story unfolds in a highly dramatized 10th century England: The pagan Danes and the Christian Saxons of the time are already struggling to get along when Saxon King Edward the Elder passes away, leaving the throne in contestation. A warrior by the name of Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), who was born a Saxon but raised by the Danes, pinballs between alliances when an oracle prophesizes that seven of the eight kings will die before England is united.

Complicated alliances and numerous betrayals adorn the film’s first hour to culminate to what we all expect of a period piece: A bloody battle. Outnumbered armies, cunning military ploys, last-minute reinforcements, blood, mud, and war cries… director Ed Bazelgette doesn’t leave much to be desired from war.

While newcomers to the Last Kingdom universe will find the film easy to enjoy, fans of the series may be left disappointed. Several key characters were reported missing only to be killed offscreen or left unmentioned altogether. Also, the pacing may seem off, as the writers try to cram a season’s worth of material into a two-hour movie. But Bazelgette does an excellent job of doing what he can with what he has: Delivering a comprehensive and well-staged story.

Seven Kings Must Die is streaming on Netflix.

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