Movie Review - Against the Ice

Director: Peter Flinth
Genre: Drama/ Adventure
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole, Charles Dance

Description: In 1909, two explorers (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole) fight to survive after theu’re left behind while on a Denmark expedition in ice-covered Greenland.

Review: More than a century ago we had mapped most of our planet. Only of the most inhospitable parts was it not yet clear how the land masses formed. Greenland was one such area. The Danes undertook a number of expeditions to prove that even the furthest and coldest part of Greenland was theirs. The last of these daring expeditions was led by Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen. He wrote a book about his adventure that is till worth filming decades later.
Mikkelsen was sent out to find one of his predecessors. Perhaps for no more than an honorable burial, but hopefully also to secure evidence for the Danish claim to all of Greenland. Indeed, the United States claims that a northern piece of Greenland I not attached to the Danish remainder and therefore need not be Danish. Mikkelsen does find something, but for the really conclusive proof, he will have to make a months-long trek across the icy plains, into the snow-white interior. His crew is not eager to join him, except for Iver Iversen, the rookie.  
With this mechanic with no experience above the Arctic Circle, the somewhat gruff captain treks deep into the Arctic Circle. On the way, the two encounter the necessary dangers and inconveniences on their dog sleds loaded with food, until they finally find the documents for which Denmark had sent them, emaciated and heavy-handed. For most films, writing about this would have been a spoiler of sorts, but for “Against the Ice”. Finding evidence is one thing, securing it is another. Returning alive to the waiting ship and then Denmark is an immense challenge, as is keeping the peace along the way.
The drama weaves together these stories without losing sight of the bigger picture. That finding some frozen documents is far from the end of the film, any observant viewer understands after a quick glance at the clock. Stories of lingering loneliness and extreme isolation, whether in space, underground or in the snow, benefit from a slow narrative. There is a real lack of a narrative structure where loneliness and despair creep up on the pair and the viewers. The journey through the Arctic not frequently feels rushed.
When the truly desolate hopelessness does get space, there appears to be enough energy in the film. There is then enough left behind to the seasoned veteran and the enthusiastic youngster to be able to relate in the silent lunar landscape. The first half of “Against the Ice”, in which all sorts of things were supposed to happen and all sorts of things were hoped for, turned out to be nothing more than a stretched out introduction.
It is worth watching, but with that it’s not as eventful as you might expect. It’s an okay film, with strong performances and beautiful visuals, but it’s not a movie that will stay with you for long.

Rating: 3/ 5