The film does not shy away from graphic content. It features some of the most inventive and gruesome action sequences of its year, including a standout scene where Duncan uses laser-guided gloves to take out an entire floor of guards. This level of stylization is a hallmark of Åkerlund’s direction, turning the film into a living comic book where physics and logic often take a backseat to visual flair.
To avoid paying their pensions, Blut sends a psychotic squad of younger, faster, and even more brutal assassins, known as "The A-Team," to eliminate its veteran employees. Forced out of retirement, Duncan must use all his lethal skills to survive the onslaught, protect his kind-hearted new neighbor Camille (Vanessa Hudgens), and collect his owed fortune.
Plays the antagonist Blut as an absurd, grotesque, and theatrical villain, serving as the polar opposite to Mikkelsen's subtlety. Action and Violence: The John Wick Comparison
And that is the final truth of polar.2019 . The poles are not responding. Not because they are indifferent, but because they are changing too fast for any system — human, digital, glacial — to log in real time.
However, the film was not without its defenders. Amidst the harsh critiques, most agreed that was a highlight. His charisma and physical presence lent a degree of poignancy and watchability to the otherwise "lurid" material, earning praise from outlets like The Hollywood Reporter . Others noted the film's vibrant, comic-book-inspired cinematography and style, even if the substance was lacking.
To save money, Damocles owner Blut (Matt Lucas) marks retiring assassins for death.
Attempting to live out his remaining days in a secluded, snow-covered cabin in Montana, Vizla forms a fragile, quiet bond with a traumatized local woman named Camille (Vanessa Hudgens). When the hit squad locates his hideout and threatens Camille, Vizla is forced to unleash his lethal, dormant skillset. What follows is a relentless game of cat and mouse that builds toward a bloody climax of revenge and deep-seated secrets. 2. Visual Style and Graphic Novel DNA
Critics were quick to point out the film's unevenness, noting that the transition between the somber character study and the cartoonish villainy felt jarring. Despite this, Mads Mikkelsen’s performance is universally praised. He manages to convey a world-weary gravity that grounds the more ridiculous elements of the plot. His portrayal of the Black Kaiser is a masterclass in "show, don't tell," using silence and physicality to tell the story of a man haunted by his past.
Polar is a hyper-stylized, ultraviolent B-movie that knows exactly what it is. If you miss the gritty, neo-noir excess of 2000s graphic novels (like The Killer or Wanted ) and don't mind ridiculous gore, it’s a fun ride. If you're looking for substance or a good John Wick clone, it falls flat.
Polar premiered exclusively on Netflix on January 25, 2019. In a sign of the times, a high-quality copy of the film was leaked online nearly a week before its official release.
The emotional heart of the film is Duncan’s fragile bond with Camille (Vanessa Hudgens), a young woman living in a neighboring cabin who carries her own deep-seated trauma. Their interaction provides the necessary "noble salvation" for Vizla, though the film eventually reveals a dark, tragic twist that ties their pasts together, complicating the possibility of a clean redemption.
Released on , on Netflix, Polar represents a hyper-stylized entry into the "retired assassin forced back into action" subgenre. It offers a distinct contrast between grim, frozen landscapes and explosive, neon-tinted violence.
The success of the film on streaming metrics prompted further expansion of the universe. In 2022, it was announced that Mads Mikkelsen and Jonas Åkerlund would return to the universe, not for a direct chronological sequel, but for an adaptation titled . Rather than acting as a standard Polar 2 , this project serves as a re-imagining or alternative take based on the same source graphic novels, promising a deeper look into the deadly criminal underworld.
: Whenever the film cuts to the Damocles syndicate or the young hit squad, the colors explode into oversaturated neon pinks, electric blues, and vivid oranges. The characters are loud, caricature-like, and deeply eccentric, evoking the campy energy of a comic book or a high-octane video game.
Polar (2019) is a neo-noir action thriller film directed by Jonas Åkerlund and starring Mads Mikkelsen as a retiring master assassin. It is based on the 2013 graphic novel Polar: Came From the Cold by Víctor Santos and was released worldwide on Netflix on January 25, 2019. Core Premise & Plot
