Arctic (2018)

Arctic: Directed by Joe Penna. With Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir, Tintrinai Thikhasuk. A man stranded in the Arctic after a plane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown.

“Arctic is for a good part, a solo survival thriller centered around the character of Overgård who has been trying to make it out of the frozen Arctic after his plane crashed. This is one of those movies that focuses almost entirely on a single character with minimal dialogue. Much is conveyed through the body language and facial expressions of Overgård, played by the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s a grim but stunningly icy atmosphere that Joe Penna chooses to set his protagonist in, and we clearly know that itu0026#39;s not going to be easy to sit through. Overgård has been surviving on Arctic fish, trying his best to send out signals to any possible rescuers, and he doesnu0026#39;t know of an escape route (yet!). When supposed help does arrive, it only worsens the situation (watch the movie to know more!). Joe Penna wants us to witness the perseverance of his lead character by putting him through scenarios that get increasingly difficult each time. By doing so, he creates a spectacle thatu0026#39;s minimalist but superbly effective.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOvergårdu0026#39;s struggles make us want to forget our own for a good 90 minutes, and Mikkelsen, the fantastic performer that he is, ensures that his efforts remain worth the discussion later on. The dramatics are barely there; it all plays out so real that when Mikkelsen heaves u0026#39;essential baggageu0026#39; up a snowy hill, we heave along with him. When he sheds a tear, we shed a tear along with him. And when an actor achieves this feat by getting to mouth barely any lines, that speaks volumes of his performance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile watching u0026#39;Arcticu0026#39;, one cannot help but recall other popular survival drama/thrillers such as u0026#39;Cast Awayu0026#39;, u0026#39;All Is Lostu0026#39;, and u0026#39;127 Hoursu0026#39; and how each of these movies has had strong protagonists who we wanted to root for. Overgård can be added to this list without question. The cinematic hook here is how he decides not to let go of his humanity while making his way through the frosty surroundings. That said, the film does rely a little too much on the machismo of Mikkelsen and never rises above its basic, straightforward screenplay (thereu0026#39;s no solid backstory attributed to Overgård and how he ended up there in the first place).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNonetheless, Arctic is one of the better survival films that youu0026#39;ll have come across in recent memory. Itu0026#39;ll make you want to stay off a diet that has fish in it; maybe even keep you away from air-conditioning for a little while. Arctic is, by all means, essential viewing!”