Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- gritty
- stylized
- darkly comic
- action movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an incoherent and excessively violent action thriller that squanders Mads Mikkelsen's presence and its promising premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film places an assassin and a criminal organization in a heightened, visually expressive underworld rather than a strictly realistic crime setting.
Duncan Vizla's employer targets him to avoid paying the pensions owed to aging assassins.
Duncan's forced retirement becomes the direct cause of the assassination attempt against him.
The film juxtaposes Mads Mikkelsen's grounded performance with eccentric criminals and darkly comic, bloody set pieces.
Films like Polar, and why
John Wick
Shares a stylized neo-noir crime world, charismatic professional killer, graphic action, and darkly comic tone.
The Killer
Shares an aging assassin protagonist, violent criminal underworld, revenge-driven action, and heightened pulp aesthetics.
Smokin' Aces
Shares lurid neo-noir visuals, eccentric criminal characters, graphic violence, and an intentionally exaggerated B-movie sensibility.
The Equalizer
Shares a retired killer pulled back into violent conflict, grim action, and themes of professional obsolescence.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jonas Åkerlund
- Release Date
- 2019-01-25
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (2598)
Cast
- Mads Mikkelsen
- Vanessa Hudgens
- Katheryn Winnick
- Inga Cadranel
- Fei Ren
- Ruby O. Fee
- Matt Lucas
- Robert Maillet
- Anthony Grant
- Josh Cruddas
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Polar about?
- A retired contract killer becomes the target of his own pension-saving employer and answers betrayal with ruthless, stylized retaliation.
- What is Polar like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Polar as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Polar violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Polar as graphic.
- What did critics think of Polar?
- Critics broadly found the film an incoherent and excessively violent action thriller that squanders Mads Mikkelsen's presence and its promising premise.
- Which films are like Polar?
- Films with a similar feel include John Wick, The Killer, Smokin' Aces, and The Equalizer.
- How long is Polar?
- Polar runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Polar?
- In United States, Polar streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
