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)
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Reviews (12)
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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I didn't realize what I was getting myself into until the moment that endless white landscape spread out before me. This couldn't be more monotonous, I thought. But after a few minutes, when I was wondering whether this role of his was outright stupidity, Mads decided not to leave it at that and started fighting with the snow. And suddenly I forgot that there's nothing around, suddenly I was rooting for him and living through every move he made. I wouldn't take that on with an average actor. I'd do it again with Mads. A strong 3 stars.
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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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A powerful survival drama about human tenacity, determination and strength to survive at all costs, dominated by Mikkelsen with his top performance and a screenplay that is able to take full advantage of the seemingly hopeless situation, the bleakness of the Arctic environment and economical props. The consistently escalating tension and gradual tightening of the conditions that the heroically capable, persistent and good protagonist has to face in all respects capture your attention from beginning to end, even though the film finds itself on the verge of unbelief a few times.
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