Directed by:
Joe PennaCinematography:
Tómas Örn TómassonComposer:
Joseph TrapanesePlots(1)
A man stranded in the Arctic after an airplane crash must decide whether to remain in the safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown. (Prime Video)
Videos (2)
Reviews (12)
After a slow start, Arctic takes on a more dramatic character due to the hopelessness of the situation
depicted, without resorting to thriller clichés, while retaining the parameters of a minimalist,
believable survival drama worthy of the participation of my current favorite European actor. But
don’t expect anything revolutionary, such as Boyle’s 127 Hours. [Cannes]
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A melancholic journey undertaken by two castaways across a snowbound continent. Everything relies entirely on Mikelsen, who drags the movie along as doggedly as he does the sledge. This movie about a man pitted against nature, which cheats whenever it can, is bleak, but it has surprises in store. Unfortunately the directing has no surprises, which is a bit of a shame. Penna takes no chances and leaves everything to one excellent Danish actor and Icelandic exteriors. It’ll be alright.
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What I missed there is directorial skill to tame on camera the element of nature, which abounds in Kormakur’s Everest, for example. Arctic is smaller, sparser, more restrained in its production design and considerably poorer in casting. It's not a grand story, but the journey of one man who makes key decisions to survive under extreme conditions. A survival story is always going to be relatively cool and evocative, as the mental strains in an individual's basic survival instincts are a compelling and eternal theme, but Arctic could have perhaps played out a little better with a slightly more colorful story. In short, I can't shake the impression that they could have got more out of Antarctica. Mikkelsen is, of course, great.
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A conventional slow survival story where Mads Mikkelsen finds himself alive past the Arctic Circle after a plane crash and does all he can to come back to civilisation. It’s almost dialogue-free and everything relies on Mikkelsen’s acting and facial expressions – which is quite impressive. As for the plot, it doesn’t innovate much compared to other films of that kind. With time, I can therefore imagine how Arctic will be remembered as the one where Mads is dragging a sleigh. After the screening, I felt as exhausted as the main hero. [Sitges 2018]
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A one-man survival flick with the great (but for my tastes, too nice) Mikkelsen. I highly recommend seeing it in the cinema, as the chilly atmosphere is truly evocative and unrivalled on the big screen. I don't think I would have watched it on my own at home. What struck me was the considerable degree of detachment caused by the absence of any flashbacks (unlike, for example, Boyle's 127 Hours). So you don't really learn anything about the main character and you have to experience the whole tough Arctic struggle directly with Mads. Quite a decent contribution to the survival genre.
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Gallery (33)
Photo © Stefano Baroni / The Joker Films
![Arctic - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/165/071/165071488_bf4c8e.jpg)
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