The Last King

The Last King is a 2016 Norwegian historical drama, directed by Nils Gaup. The story, inspired by true events, centers on the efforts of the Birkebeiner loyalists to protect the infant, Haakon Haakonsson, the heir to the Norwegian throne after the death of his father, King Haakon Sverresson. The film is set during the civil war era in Norway during the 13th-century. Synopsis In Norway 1204, Birkebeiners and king Haakon Sverresson possess the throne in Nidaros. They are threatened by Baglers, who have taken power in Eastern Norway, with the help from Denmark. In Nidaros, Gisle (Pal Sverre Valheim Hagan), a corrupt aristocrat and Bagler supporter, conspires with the former queen Margaret (Lia Boysen) to have king Haakon (Benjamin Helstad) murdered, promising to return her to power as queen. Margaret's daughter Kristin overhears this and confronts her, but her mother claims that exposing the plot would mean certain death for them, scaring Kristin into secrecy. Margaret poisons Haakon and departs Norway for her native Sweden. Before he dies, however, Haakon reveals he has a son with a woman named Inga, and has sent Torstein (Kristofer Hivju) and Skervald (Jakob Oftebro), two Birkebeiner agents, to find him. Gisle later frames his brother Inge and plans to marry Kristin.