Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), after which he would reign over Egypt. But Set has other plans for Horus, taking his eyes, leaving him blinded, and stealing the crown.
In one of the first pivotal scenes, Osiris gives a heartfelt speech to his people about true values in life and ends his note by crowning Horus as the new king. Set then arrives at the ceremony with a gift, a hunting horn, but uses it to turn on his family, which is when he kills his brother and blinds Horus. The film depicts Osiris as the level-headed brother who creates peace across Egypt and Set as the chaotic egomaniac that wants to rule for status and praise. With Osiris’ death at the beginning of the film, Horus becomes the new hero who must save the land from Set’s destructive tendencies.
Gods of Egypt embodies the essence of Egyptian history by representing the gods authentically. Even minor gods are true to the mythology. Thoth, played by Chadwick Boseman, whose movies rank across the board, demonstrates the god of intellect and wisdom. Osiris, the god of the underworld, ensures his people are aware of the true treasures in life and death. Set, the god of chaos, constantly creates tension with his self-fulfilling motives. Horus, the god of air and the sky, uses vision and falcon wings to promote freedom. Ra, the god of the sun, uses his power of light to defeat Apophis, the snake god of darkness. These stories have lasted lifetimes and continue to be retold in media today.
Osiris is the voice of reason, displaying the ideal qualities for a king and represents peace and prosperity and cares for his people. Horus is depicted as self-doubting, causing him to lose his powers. Ra encourages him to understand that his powers manifest in himself, not his eyesight. Ra, on the other hand, is the most powerful god, yet uses wisdom to conquer his enemies more so than strength. He goes to war every night with the serpent god to protect the world from chaos. With Set as the god of chaos, perhaps Ra is truly protecting the world from his destructive son. It's an almost impossible feat as a father, but Ra knows that his duty demands it.
These traits create nuanced characters, which is why movies and TV often use mythology to tell stories. Shows, like Godzilla: King of the Monsters explained Sekhmet was the god of protection and healing. Movies utilizing mythology have an obligation to stay true to the stories as much as possible in order to captivate audiences and keep the folklore tradition alive.
