Arctic

Mads Mikkelsen astounds in this gripping tale of one man’s gruelling fight for survival against the elements.

In the vast and uncompromising terrains of a frozen wilderness, an unnamed survivor of a plane crash struggles to stay alive. It is unclear how much time has passed since the accident that left him stranded, but the regularity of his routines (sourcing food, checking radio frequencies, constructing giant SOS signs) indicates he has been there a while. Facing the increasing hopelessness of his situation, he unexpectedly encounters the sole survivor of a nearby helicopter crash – a woman left unconscious and critically injured. In a last-ditch effort to save them both, they embark on a seemingly impossible trek across the cruel landscape.

Told almost entirely without dialogue, Joe Penna’s assured and elegant adventure story is both a breathless physical experience and a richly compelling testament to the power of human endurance.