Arctic (2019) Review

"Don't worry.  They'll be here tomorrow.  Or the day after tomorrow.  Don't worry."

-Overgård

Overgård (Mads Mikkelsen) is the only survivor of a plane crash in the arctic.  As he struggles to survive, he spots a helicopter.  As he flags it down, it also crashes.  Now with an injured woman (María Thelma Smáradóttir) to care for, Overgård has to leave the safety of the place wreckage and journey across the frozen wasteland to find help before the elements and a hungry polar bear catch up with him.

What Sucks:

I'll start with what sucks because my problems with Arctic stem from the beginning of the film.  The first act is somewhat tedious and not overly interesting.  Most movies have a "hook" or something to grab the audience's attention in the opening minutes of the film.  This helps get the audience interested in the story.  Arctic begins with Overgård slowly digging an S.O.S. sign.  I can't help but think the movie would be more interesting out the gate if we opened with the plane crash itself or maybe with Overgård waking up after the crash.  This would make it easier to identify with him in the beginning of the movie.  Instead, we just get a blank slate and not much of interest until later in the film.

Arctic is a movie that refuses to hold its audience's hand.  I respect that, but it does make a few parts of the film somewhat confusing.  There is hardly any dialogue in this film and Overgård never explains what he is doing.  If you don't know much about arctic survival, this can be confusing.  I have some survival know-how and even I didn't know what he was doing some of the time.  I have to imagine this could be frustrating for many viewers.

What Works:

Arctic is an utterly brutal film and it doesn't hold back.  We may not learn much about Overgård's character, but you can't help but feel bad for him.  He really goes through the ringer.  Mads Mikkelsen has said this was the toughest filming experience he has ever had and it shows.  The film is brutal and depressing and takes an emotional toll just watching it.

The movie looks and sounds great.  I love the arctic setting and how isolating it feels.  And the score is really fantastic and adds a lot to the film.

One of my favorite scenes in the film involves Overgård attempting to scale a steep slope to a shortcut to salvation.  The struggle comes from trying to get the injured woman up the slope as well.  It's a long scene and difficult to watch.  I caught myself holding my breath as I hoped Overgård would succeed and it was here I realized just how invested I was in the story.

Finally, the 3rd act is incredible and emotionally draining.  It's truly a phenomenal scene with Mikkelsen giving it his all.  Director Joe Penna does a fantastic job and ends this film with finesse.  It's impressive work.

Verdict:

Arctic has a rocky start and doesn't always fully explain what is happening, but, as the film goes on, it improves and becomes fully engaging.  Mikkelsen and Penna are fantastic, as is the score and the ending of the film.  Arctic has absolutely got it going on.

 8/10: Really Good