Polar

"If the job doesn't kill you, retirement will."

2019 1h 58m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 2,611

ActionCrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a retiring assassin realizes that he is the target of a hit, he winds up back in the game going head to head with a gang of younger, ruthless killers.

“If the job doesn't kill you, retirement will.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Mads Mikkelsen
Duncan Vizla
Vanessa Hudgens
Camille
Katheryn Winnick
Vivian
Inga Cadranel
Regina
Fei Ren
Hilde
Ruby O. Fee
Sindy
Matt Lucas
Blut
Robert Maillet
Karl

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jonas Åkerlund
Writers: Jayson Rothwell
Languages: English, Russian
Countries: Germany, 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

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, shot by Pär M. Ekberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by deadmau5. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Mads Mikkelsen and Vanessa Hudgens and Katheryn Winnick carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "If the job doesn't kill you, retirement will.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jonas Åkerlund directs. Pär M. Ekberg behind the camera. deadmau5 scores. Doobie White cuts. Produced in Germany, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 7 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.
3International production across 2 countries: Germany, United States of America.
4Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, shot by Pär M. Ekberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by deadmau5. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Doobie White shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Mads Mikkelsen and Vanessa Hudgens and Katheryn Winnick carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "If the job doesn't kill you, retirement will.".
9IMDB entry: tt4139588 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "assassin", "hitman", "montana", "chile".

The technical file

Cinematography: Pär M. Ekberg
Original score: deadmau5
Editing: Doobie White
Production design: Emma Fairley
Costume design: Susie Coulthard
Sound: Mattias Eklund
Stunt coordinator: Dan Skene
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NC-17
IMDB: Polar (2019)

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Jonas Åkerlund

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Dark Jedi2019-01-28
★ 8/10
This is a bit of a strange movie. Part of it feels like a pretty good, dark and gritty thriller, part of it feels like a wannabe Tarantino movie and part of it feels like a comedy. Overall I would classify it as a B-movie but a pretty good B-movie. As strange as the movie is I have to say that I liked it. I kind of watched this movie on a whim. It popped up on my Netflix home screen and I kind of liked the blurb. A type of story that I like. Then I saw that Mads Mikkelsen played the lead role and this sold me on it. I quite like Mads Mikkelsen in these kind of roles. The movie starts off in a fairly normal way for this kind of movie. You know, some assassinations, introduction of the hero, the bad guys, the even badder guys and all that. It is fairly clear already from the start that there will be blood splatter. That it would reach the levels it did towards the end of the movie was a bit of a surprise though. I did like Mads Mikkelsen in his role as Duncan, the somewhat brooding and grim assassin starting his retirement. But then I’m not really surprised. It’s a perfect role for him. The rest of the actors, well let’s just say that their acting was for the most part forgettable. Maybe with the exception of Matt Lucas as Blut. But then, his role was so comical and wacky so one wonders if it required acting skills or just a good dose of insanity (or some chemical products). The blurb states that he is deemed a liability. Well, that is not exactly the truth actually. It is more that his overly wacky boss is trying to screw him. This is where it starts to get into comedy land. Already in the first couple of scenes it is clear that this guy is a nut job. Then he let’s loose his assassins and at that point the movie escalates in a orgy of blood, violence and comedy. I cannot really make up my mind if it would have been a better movie if the violence would have been less comical or not. With the comedy this movie becomes a bit unusual and sticks out. Without it it would risk becoming just another thirteen on a dozen assassin thrillers. Also, as comical as it is, it is fairly well done. Anyway, there is of course a pretty dramatic and violent fight as the movie draws to a close. I quite liked that one. There is also a little twist that I actually did not see coming at the end. Overall, it was a fun movie to watch.
jw2021-11-30
★ 6/10
What a bloody mess. I the middle of the film, I stopped serveral times and wondered how to salvage this trainwreck, if I was the writer. The Mikkelsen and Hudgens scenes are strong, emotional, well written and acted, and make sense. And Mikkelsen is excellent for this sort of action hero thing - for which there are good action scenes, iconic even. But all of that doesn't tie in with the violent clowns. That part has some clever moments, but really daft hours - like, most of the movie. I wonder how the script came to be - whether a good original story got script-doctored by the wrong people. Add some wanton violence, some sex scenes, some torture and more torture, daft villains - lot's of unnecessary stuff that's just ups the rating without giving anything of value. I kept wondering "why". There is a number of good bits, which seem familiar; there is a lot of crap that feels like a complete WOMBAT. Someone OK'd this, produced, made, left it in the cut - and I don't see why. This could've been an original, violent and interesting movie. But it was utterly messed up. Won't watch again, but managed to finish it.
r96sk2023-10-21
★ 7/10
This is something... I think I might've enjoyed it, marginally. I'm not entirely sure how, to be honest. For the most part I was pretty nonplussed by <em>'Polar'</em>, though by the conclusion it kinda grew on me if I'm to be truthful. I kinda seperate the film into two parts, the bits with Mads Mikkelsen & Vanessa Hudgens and the bits without Mads Mikkelsen & Vanessa Hudgens. It's like chalk and cheese, really. Mikkelsen and Hudgens are certainly pros and, by the end, an almost endearing duo. Any scene involving them fluctuates from decent to good, nothing more admittedly but positive stuff from those two still. Aside from them, I do like how the film commits to its gory kills and somewhat gratuitous sexual content. It works, just about. What doesn't work, however, is those other characters that appear onscreen. Matt Lucas is hit-and-miss but probably just about passable, though every member of the supposedly specialist hit squad just didn't work for me. Ruby O. Fee, Fei Ren and others try but as a group they just didn't give off any badass or fun to watch aura... almost cringe, in fact. It is far, far adrift of being a great film or even one I'd recommend with all my heart. However, it entertains... just. I'd be up for seeing Mads Mikkelsen and Vanessa Hudgens together again in this set-up, which is <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cannes-2022-mads-mikkelsen-dark-kaiser-polar-jonas-akerlund-1235144766/" rel="nofollow">reportedly</a> something that'll happen soon as it seems they are remaking this 2019 flick already... with similar people behind it. How intriguing.