Survival stories are inherently compelling, at least on some base level of human behavior. Watching others battle the harshest circumstances is a reminder of just how powerful the will to live actually is. Sometimes fictitious but often true, there is a reason why filmmakers keep telling different variations of the same story over and over again. These movies usually boil down to one person (or a small group) staring death in the face and defying almost insurmountable odds but there’s still room for creativity within that familiar bubble. Arctic doesn’t break the mold, or really even bend it much, but is a tense and compelling tale of discipline and relentless effort.
For Director Joe Penna, the minimalist approach was a good way to go about his first full-length feature. He made his name on YouTube and had made several short films and television series but the jump to features is always a challenging one. He wrote the very limited screenplay with frequent collaborator Ryan Morrison, who also served as the film’s editor. There isn’t much dialogue but that doesn’t mean the screenplay was weak and it took a great deal of “stage direction” to push the story. Morrison also had to communicate a large part of the narrative with visual communication. Tómas Örn Tómasson captured some stunning, wide landscape shots but there was an unavoidable element of redundancy Morrison had to contend with in the editing room. Finding the right balance when combing through the footage is especially tough when so much of the terrain looks similar. Ultimately, they did a good job finding the right blend to pace the story well at an hour 38-minutes…even if it was a little slow.
Isolation is one of the biggest elements at play in survival films but there typically tends to be other actors. Technically, Mads Mikkelsen wasn’t alone but the other two actors share maybe 3 words of dialogue between them and don’t really do much else. So, to say this was a one-man show is an understatement. He’s usually on point with his performances but this was a whole different level for the Dane. This was an incredibly physical and demanding role that required him to communicate mostly through body language cues…and it was shot in the freezing conditions of Iceland. Nearest I can tell from the listed credits, Mikkelsen has no stunt double listed either which means he did the majority (if not the entirety) of the work himself. Taking on a role such as this, where the conditions aren’t favorable, shows Mikkelsen really gave himself over to the character. In a career full of strong, eclectic performances, this was right there at the top. Things may change as the year rolls along but he has to be at the front of the pack for Best Actor right now.
In order to help tackle the redundancy that plagues any film shot in desolation, Joseph Trapanese composed a tense score to accompany the feature. You wouldn’t guess it but this is the same guy who scored The Greatest Showman. Clearly, this was a whole different animal. His music is filled with hope but doesn’t hide an unshakeable sense of desperation either. With methodical and menacing timbre, Trapanese had his finger on the pulse of this story from beginning to end. He probably isn’t going to win any awards for his efforts but it was a nice pairing.
This movie isn’t breaking any ground. It’s a combination of Cast Away and Alive but both those films rightly have their place in film history. This certainly doesn’t have the studio backing of some other more revered survivalist flicks but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a look.
Recommendation: See it for Mikkelsen’s stalwart performance. Fans of survival films will feel right at home with the concept and execution but newcomers may find it too slow or lacking context.