On January 30, Ukrainian cinemas began showing the Norwegian-made historical war film «The Arctic Convoy». Its plot is inspired by the real events of World War II related to the PQ-17 convoy, which suffered extremely heavy losses while transporting valuable cargo from the Icelandic Gulf of Guðfjord to the port of Arkhangelsk. In the review below, we will tell you what kind of movie the Scandinavian filmmakers made.
Pluses:
exciting and beautifully filmed action scenes (although there are not many of them); it is noticeable that the creators tried to make everything look as realistic and authentic as possible (the film features the D/S Hestmanden, built in 1911, which was part of sea convoys during both world wars and is now a museum exhibit); an interesting storyline concerning the contradictions between the captain and the first mate; there are enough tense episodes in the story
Minuses:
not all dialog scenes and especially secondary characters look interesting; some may lack emotional content, which is almost absent here; questions may arise about the logic of the characters' actions; the ending suggests a certain disappointment that the story may seem incomplete
«The Arctic Convoy» / Konvoi
Genre historical military action, drama
Director Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
Starring Tobias Santelmann, Heidi Ruud Ellingsen, Anders Baasmo, Adam Lundgren, Jakob Fort, John Raines, Preben Hodneland, Christian Repshus, Olav Vaastad, Thord King
Premiere movie theaters
Year of release 2025
Website IMDb
In the summer of 1942, an Arctic convoy consisting of more than three dozen civilian ships set sail from Iceland, carrying a critical cargo of military equipment and supplies destined for the Soviet Union. The convoy was protected by Allied escorts. The final point of the route was the port of Murmansk. However, when the ships were ordered to disperse and the escort was withdrawn during the journey, they became easy prey for German submarines and aircraft.
Among those doomed to perish in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean is Captain Skar’s ship. Despite the persistent suggestion of his first mate Mjörk not to continue the suicidal mission and return to Iceland, he is seriously determined to reach his destination and fulfill his duty. Everyone is well aware that this journey will not be a cakewalk.
If «Greyhound», released 5 years ago, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, was told from the perspective of the military escort of the convoy, in particular the destroyer «Fletcher» and Commander Ernest Krause, played by the always amazing Tom Hanks, here we are focusing on those who need such protection. Besides, «The Arctic Convoy» cannot boast of the overwhelming dynamics, eventfulness, and epic sea battle scenes of its Hollywood genre counterpart. However, this does not mean that the movie is not worth watching.
In «Greyhound», if you recall, Hanks’s character had no time to rest, not even for a quick snack — the guy with the tray in front of him was constantly trying to feed the busy captain, but in vain. There is also enough space for leisurely conversations, for reflection, for forced stops, and even for thinking and escaping from imminent death with the help of ingenuity and improvised means. In both films, by the way, there are scenes where the camera catches the protagonists’ faces through the opening of a broken window.
The film begins, however, in a Hollywood-like manner, with a thrilling and sweeping plot.
The viewer will appreciate the scale of the convoy, primarily through the impressive close-ups, and witness an exciting action scene when an enemy submarine appears on the horizon. But very soon Oskar Dahlsbakken’s camera will prefer the confined space of cramped and stuffy cabins, the captain’s bridge or the engine room to the fresh sea air.
And it is at such moments that annoying sagging occurs, which could have been avoided. The problem is that the only interesting aspect of the story that concerns the crew members and their interaction is a kind of antagonism between the captain and his first mate, whose opinions often do not coincide. This leads to a certain amount of tension within the team and in certain situations, so in this case, watching what happens on the screen outside the action is quite interesting.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about all the other characters’ throwaway moments, such as hints at the senior mechanic’s personal history or dialogues between the guys who shoot back at enemy planes with the only anti-aircraft gun on board. And they are supported by superficiality and Scandinavian cold detachment, which makes it impossible to penetrate the fates of secondary characters.
In its best moments, «The Arctic Convoy» looks great and is truly gripping. This includes the scene with the mines, which leaves behind an oppressive feeling when it is absolutely impossible to remain indifferent. And the attempts to fight back against German bombers, who frighten you just by approaching the target and making an unbearable, increasingly powerful hum. And the forced stop in the icy waters somewhere near the Svalbard archipelago, which is associated with a tense situation.
In general, the filmmakers are trying to balance between a conversational chamber drama with thriller elements set in the cramped confines of a ship and, on the contrary, exciting and at the same time tense scenes in the Hollywood style. Secondly, we must admit that Norwegian filmmakers are generally better at what they do, despite their modest budget. And this is enough to make you not regret the time spent watching the movie.
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: