Arctic

"Survival is the only option."

2018 1h 38m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 1,444

DramaAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A man stranded in the Arctic is finally about to receive his long awaited rescue. However, after a tragic accident, his opportunity is lost and he must then decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his camp or embark on a deadly trek through the unknown for potential salvation.

“Survival is the only option.”

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Cast

Mads Mikkelsen
H. Overgård
Maria Thelma Smáradóttir
Young Woman
Tintrinai Thikhasuk
Helicopter Pilot

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joe Penna
Writers: Joe Penna, Ryan Morrison
Languages: Danish, English
Countries: Iceland, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Danish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Iceland, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joe Penna, shot by Tómas Örn Tómasson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Joseph Trapanese. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ryan Morrison shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Mads Mikkelsen and Maria Thelma Smáradóttir and Tintrinai Thikhasuk carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joe Penna directs. Tómas Örn Tómasson behind the camera. Joseph Trapanese scores. Ryan Morrison cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Iceland, United States of America. Dialogue in Danish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 8 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Danish, English.
4International production across 2 countries: Iceland, United States of America.
5Directed by Joe Penna, shot by Tómas Örn Tómasson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Joseph Trapanese. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Ryan Morrison shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Mads Mikkelsen and Maria Thelma Smáradóttir and Tintrinai Thikhasuk carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Survival is the only option.".
10IMDB entry: tt6820256 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 20 themes, including "fish", "helicopter", "fire", "airplane wreck".

The technical file

Cinematography: Tómas Örn Tómasson
Original score: Joseph Trapanese
Editing: Ryan Morrison
Production design: Atli Geir Grétarsson
Costume design: Margrét Einarsdóttir
Makeup / hair: Ragna Fossberg
Sound: Odin Benitez
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,000,000
Box office: $4,100,000
Return: 205% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Arctic (2018)

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Joe Penna

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2019-08-25
★ 5/10
Seems to be very little more than a blank slate on which to show to us that Mads Mikkelsen is a great actor, but like... We bin knew. Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the appeal.
r96sk2023-10-18
★ 8/10
A fairly standard survival drama, though a very good one at that! <em>'Arctic'</em> is wonderfully acted out by Mads Mikkelsen, who is all alone (aside from a small role for María Thelma Smáradóttir) and rather mute all the way... but that doesn't take anything away from his strong performance. It's a competently made film in fairness, as it manages to set the scene perfectly and tells its story well - I was invested.