Arctic

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] (05/12/2018)

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. (10/23/2021)

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. (04/28/2019)

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] (10/07/2018)

One hundred percent immersive spectacle. I believed everything Mads Mikkelsen did, and that was the basis of its success. I liked that we don't know anything more about his character than that he's a smart guy, we're thrown into the plot at the beginning and gradually get to know what the creators want us to know. For example, that a man can remain a man even in the worst conditions. Or should. (09/15/2019)