Arctic

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir

Director: Joe Penna

When we meet Overgård (Mads Mikkelsen), he is living out of a crashed plane somewhere in the Arctic for an unknown but presumably long period of time. He has survived up until now thanks to the handmade map he has made of where he has tested radio signal. The rest of his daily routine is comprised of tending to the massive SOS he has cut into the snow, fishing, and the aforementioned radio signal, which is hand crank and needs high ground. One day, his salvation comes and he is able to flag down a passing helicopter during a snowstorm. The helicopter crashes, killing one of the pilots and injuring the other, a young woman (Maria Thelma Smáradóttir). He tends to her wounds, but seeing the dire state she is in, decides to tie her to a sled and carry her to a nearby compound thats a few days journey away. Will they make it, or will the treacherous elements do them both in?

Rank Arctic next to All is Lost and Gravity as one of the best survival thrillers, as this is an intense movie from the word go. We are dropped into Overgård's situation with no backstory on him or how the plane crashed. And honestly, that’s not important because we see how adept he is on his own, with his daily routine set to the alarm on his watch. Mads Mikkelsen deserves all the praise, as he literally carries the film, and the young woman he is trying to save, on his back. In essentially a wordless performance, Mikkelsen conveys a lot of character through his physical actions as well as his eyes. No matter how perilous the situation, you never really see the seams come loose. Sure, he gets frustrated but he adapts and makes a new decision.

It's a huge credit to the script that it keeps you on the edge of your seat with little to no dialogue. I was drawn into the man vs wild story and the triumph of the will and human spirit of Overgård.

The cinematography by Tómas Örn Tómasson is gorgeous, brilliantly capturing the landscape of Iceland where this was filmed. The score by Joseph Trapanese also helped set the scene nicely, whether it was early with Mads alone or on his journey in the second half of the film.

I hate that this was released so early in the year and probably won't reach enough people. Thanks to a commanding lead performance, stunning cinematography, and rousing survive at all costs storyline this is a can't miss film.

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