Against The Ice Review: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's survival drama makes for a riveting watch in parts

Against The Ice 

Against The Ice Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole

Against The Ice Director: Peter Flinth

Streaming Platform: Netflix

Against The Ice Stars: 2.5/5

The thing about survival dramas is that they are known to affect you as a viewer depending on your psyche and when combined with the right filmmaking elements, they can either leave you highly disturbed or dejected or on the other hand can induce an adrenaline rush of vicariously enjoying a journey that you wouldn't voluntarily take on. For me, survival dramas are all about understanding the workings of human nature under conditions that truly test their will to exist. In the case of Against The Ice, the film puts itself in a special bracket as it's not just any survival story but that of a real-life one, based on Danish explorer Ejnar Mikkelsen. 

Based on Mikkelsen's book Two Against the Ice, the film has been produced by Game Of Thrones fame Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who also stars in the project in the role of Mikkelsen. For Coster-Waldau, it's a passion project that tells a historic tale of survival that many outside of Denmark may have very well forgotten. Mikkelsen's Greenland expedition isn't something you must have come upon unless you have been interested in Arctic history and explorations and hence for many of us, this story becomes an introductory tale. 

The film revolves around the 1909 Greenland expedition which was embarked on by Danish explorer Ejnar Mikkelsen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to disprove the American claim about the north-eastern territory believed to have been broken up into separate pieces of land. Following one failed expedition to recover the bodies of those who died in a prior attempt, Mikkelsen soon plans another attempt 400 miles far hoping for one person to accompany him. With no volunteers to join him after already returning from one failed attempt, Ejnar finds an unlikely and unsuitable co-companion in Iver Iverson (Joe Cole).  Iverson, an engineer who is on his first-ever Arctic expedition, looks up to Captain Mikkelsen but is in no way prepared for what he is signing up for.  As the two set off on a challenging exploration, there's a series of mishaps that two deal with, all the while being aware that there's a good chance this expedition could very well be their end. 

As the film chronicles Mikkelsen and Iverson's journey, there's nothing that's novel in terms of the challenges they face while being on this uncharted territory. The bear attacks and running out of food moments seem staple elements in films from this genre and hence it all comes down to the two personalities and their exchanges that make a difference. While the film doesn't get compelling enough to keep you at the edge-of-your-seat, it remains riveting enough for you to root for these characters as the going gets tough. It's also a welcome change to watch a film that's shot in landscapes with real elements given how used to we have become to the whole CGI created worlds. It's the eerie vastness of the locations combined with Coster-Waldau and Cole's restrained performances that the film keeps itself afloat. Director Peter Flinth relies on performances more than the film's script and it's ability to give this survival drama a visceral element.

All credits to cinematographer Torben Forsberg for bringing the much-needed authenticity for this survival tale by capturing the extreme nature of the Arctic region with on-location shoots from Iceland and Greenland. Although unfortunately where Forsberg's genius on capturing the landscapes elevates the film, the small CGI elements used in it don't work as much, especially the bear which could have been a compelling scene in the film when an attack happens. In terms of the screenplay, the film works in parts considering that the attempt of making it a simplistic tale without adding much historical background for it works from a global audience perspective. Although, the dialogue at several points feels modern for a story set in 1909. The film's most telling moments are between the conversations shared by Iverson and Mikkelsen, especially as the former tries to understand why someone like Ejnar would willingly put themselves up for such death-defying explorations. The bond that develops between the two over the time they spend after they are abandoned in the Arctic is what keeps the film interesting. 

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who is also among the writers for the film delivers a performance that seems heartfelt. It comes across as an earnest attempt on his part of channelling Ejnar's dreams as well as his own when it comes to sharing a tale that holds significance to Denmark. The actor impresses more with his silences in the film and also aces the gradually declining mental health of Mikkelsen while being stranded with Iverson. Equally impressive in the film is Joe Cole who succeeds in bringing forth an innocence to Iverson who is trying hard to revel in the happiness of getting to go on an adventure with his role model, while at the same time experiencing the rose-tinted glasses of his appreciation of Mikkelsen coming off with the latter's undecipherable behaviour. 

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Against the Ice has its heart in the right place but the film never manages to rise above a mould that is common to the survival genre. Its simplistic storytelling makes the film watchable but doesn't leave you completely satisfied when it comes to learning about Mikkelsen and Iverson or purely the pleasure of enjoying a survival drama.