Revisiting the ending of Arctic: Overgård's eventual fate revealed

Arctic is a film that had its world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Joe Penna directed and co-wrote this survival drama with Ryan Morrison. The film is produced by Tim Zajaros, Chris Lemole, and Noah C. Haeussner. Here is the official synopsis as per Letterboxd,

A man stranded in the Arctic is finally about to receive his long awaited rescue. However, after a tragic accident, his opportunity is lost and he must then decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his camp or embark on a deadly trek through the unknown for potential salvation.

Let's explore how it ends.

What is the plot of Arctic?

A still from Arctic | Image via Bleecker Street

Arctic follows Overgård (played by Mads Mikkelsen), who gets stranded in the Arctic Circle after his plane crashes. He attempts to send distress signals, and one of them is answered. A helicopter arrives to rescue him, but it crashes, and the pilot dies. Overgård rescues its only passenger (María Thelma Smáradóttir) and tends to her injuries. The entire story centers on how the two manage to survive this ordeal, if they do.

How does Arctic end?

Arctic highlights the bond between two characters caught in an extraordinary situation. Overgård tries to connect with the woman despite her not understanding his language. He also feels relief at the thought that he might not die alone. The two set out on a journey and eventually reached a safe station after facing dangerous situations.

At one point, Overgård sends a signal to a helicopter, but it takes off. As the film reaches its end, we see him lying next to the woman and telling her that she is not alone. Throughout the film, he kept asking her to hold his hands. But at that moment, she is no longer holding on, hinting that she has become unconscious. A helicopter can be seen flying in the background and approaching the two. The filmmakers keep the ending ambiguous, leaving it to the audience to connect the dots.

It might be interpreted that the rescue wasn't the main point of the story. The real focus is on how they navigated the ordeal and how it impacted them. Both characters gradually form a bond as they are just inches away from death. In an interview with That Shelf, Joe Penna revealed that he had multiple endings in mind. He said,

"[The ending] was one of the only parts of the film that we had time and was allowed to shoot for multiple options. So we had our “American” version of it, where the guys come out of the helicopter and check his pulse and at the very last second he breathes, takes a deep breath in and it’s a very conclusive, everything is going to be ok ending. And then, because we were submitting to Cannes, we toyed with the idea of a very conclusive negative ending, or like you said “Scandinavian”, where man struggles, man dies, woman dies, helicopter never comes back, “Directed by Joe Penna”."

However, the makers chose an ambiguous ending that leaves viewers without an explanation.

What do you think of the film's ending?