The Arctic Convoy

Piloting boats and being seaman in WW2 was an extremely dangerous job. This film encapsulates entirely how dangerous this job is. To the most extreme horrors of merchant shipping life.

The only annoyance in the movie is the sheer lack of cargo in the hold. It is not accurate and otherwise the movie is great with loads of authentic props and a great storyline.

Acting is superb. It really creates emotion and tensions and you can feel that you are a member of the crew. The camerawork is great. You can almost feel the vibrating engine and the deck shaking in your room.

It's got a little CGI but it is done properly and well. I don't know the budget of this movie but I guess it is not a gret deal. It is done well and executed well. The Director is definitely one-to-watch!

A strong effort!

My father was an engineer on a Norwegian Merchant Marine ship during WWII (although not in the arctic region that I know of). His ships were wrecked three times, yet he managed to survive. He didn't talk too much about what he went through, yet it was evident that he was deeply troubled by what he saw and went through. After the war, he moved to the US. Decades later, the Norwegian government sent him medals for his service. He through them into a drawer, forgotten until after his death. Seeing this movie gave insight into what he may have experienced. It was beautifully filmed, and well acted. Glad I watched it, yet depressing too.

The Arctic Convoy delivers a tense, atmospheric look at WWII naval warfare from a fresh, Norwegian perspective. While clearly inspired by Greyhound, it doesn't try to be a copy - instead, it leans into the harsh beauty of the Arctic, the moral weight of command, and the fragile humanity aboard cold steel vessels.

The film focuses on the perilous journey of a convoy heading to Murmansk, constantly under threat from German submarines and bombers. It's less about flashy action, more about survival, tension, and duty. The visuals are impressive for a non-Hollywood production, with solid CGI and a cold, immersive tone. Performances are strong, though character development feels a bit rushed at times.

Yes, it's not Greyhound in terms of polish or pace, but it has heart, grit, and authenticity. If you enjoy war dramas with a slower burn and a focus on atmosphere over spectacle, this one's worth your time.

Verdict: Not a blockbuster, but a chillingly effective naval thriller from the North.

While a huge improvement over movies like Kampen om Narvik, it is obvious that this movie got rewritten several times and changed direction. While the movie still manages to have a grip on the audience in terms of suspense, some of its plot points do not hold up well. It seems the movie went from the idea of a captivating war movie to budget restraints, forcing the movie makers to focus on interpersonal differences between the captain and his crew. That is something i feel detracts from the story, and it also is writing that has been done to death in other movies like Crimson tide. All in all, if you want to see a bit of WWII action, watch this, but if you rather would like something more believable and historically more accurate, then watch Krigsseileren any day over this.

A film with which one can build a kind of emotional bond, additionally depicting true events at sea. The topic of the Battle of the Atlantic might seem simple to execute-showing, for example, the fate of a surface or submarine crew-but in reality, it isn't. To date, we can distinguish only two films that accurately depict the realities of the Battle of the Atlantic or similar naval battles: Das Boot from 1981, which lets us smell the damp cloth on the deck of a U-boat, feeling moments of joy with the crew and sharing in their defeats; and the film U-571 from 2000, which, although it depicts a fictional mission to capture the Enigma, conveys the drama of combat well. Someone might ask why I don't consider the film Greyhound from 2020, despite ever-improving technology that allows for computer-generated film production and a budget 319% larger than Das Boot. The sight of all those generated ships is almost painful to look at and almost begs to be placed only in a game. The narrative and scenes are so heavily filled with American bravado.

How does this compare to the film under discussion? We are given a production that, with a well-chosen soundtrack adding tension and drama, holds us in suspense even through small events. Grayish, muted images spread across the screen, enhancing the atmosphere of the moments being experienced. The crew is starving, exhausted, and unlucky; time spent at sea breaks their spirits, and the accompanying thought that the ship could become a floating coffin only deepens this feeling. Meanwhile, a tense atmosphere builds nearby in the cabin, where the captains cannot reach mutual agreement on the actions to take. All this unfolds within the mission to deliver battle supplies to the Soviet Union.

In summary, I must admit that I was quite positively surprised watching this film, despite my earlier doubts. I would even say that if the film had been stretched out a bit longer, presenting real events, it would still be enjoyable to watch.