A Danish man is stranded in the Arctic in the wake of a plane crash. This was my favourite movie of 2020 – it came out a few years ago but I didn’t know about it. Arctic has some of the most dramatic scenery that you will ever see in an outdoor adventure movie, some of which reminded me of Interstellar. It also does a brilliant job of portraying a survival scenario and also loneliness, while highlighting the small pleasures in life. For example, his daily routine involves fishing, watching for polar bears and calling for help using a radio, while celebrating the micro-victories he finds along the way.
Mads Mikkelsen puts in an extremely strong performance. It’s a great example of the human spirit and feels like a realistic insight into how you might feel in this kind of situation. I was captivated by the small details, like when he savours a hot drink or celebrates after catching a fish. I also felt like I was there with him for the entire movie.
Anyway, it’s a brilliant movie – desolate and scary but realistic and incredibly beautiful visuals.
Rating – 9/10