Overview
A gripping tale of survival and courage amidst the chaos of war at sea.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- melancholic
- somber
- serious movie night
- historical film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, carefully made Norwegian war drama whose maritime perspective and portrayal of trauma give familiar World War II material emotional force.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alfred and the other unarmed sailors are thrust into the Atlantic war when World War II begins.
The film explicitly foregrounds post-traumatic stress disorder and the lasting effects of Alfred's wartime experience.
The sailors are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean when the war breaks out and remain exposed without weapons.
Norwegian sailors occupy the narrative foreground as essential but unarmed participants in World War II.
Films like War Sailor, and why
The Cruel Sea
shared world war ii maritime setting, civilian sailors exposed to combat, and sober historical drama
The Deer Hunter
shared war drama focus on ordinary people, moral injury, and long-term psychological trauma
Dunkirk
shared true-story war subject, harrowing survival stakes, and post-traumatic aftermath
The Best Years of Our Lives
shared intimate treatment of wartime trauma and the damage conflict inflicts beyond the battlefield
Movie Details
- Director
- Gunnar Vikene
- Release Date
- 2022-09-23
- Runtime
- 150 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (33)
Cast
- Kristoffer Joner
- Pål Sverre Hagen
- Ine Marie Wilmann
- Henrikke Lund Olsen
- Armand Hannestad
- Alexandra Gjerpen
- Florian Schmidtke
- Tina Rizzo
- Thor Brekkeflat
- Arthur Hakalahti
Common questions
- What is War Sailor about?
- An unarmed Norwegian sailor is forced into the Atlantic front of World War II, carrying the sea and its trauma home long after the fighting ends.
- What is War Sailor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of War Sailor as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is War Sailor violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in War Sailor as graphic.
- What did critics think of War Sailor?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, carefully made Norwegian war drama whose maritime perspective and portrayal of trauma give familiar World War II material emotional force.
- Which films are like War Sailor?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cruel Sea, The Deer Hunter, Dunkirk, and The Best Years of Our Lives.
- How long is War Sailor?
- War Sailor runs 150 minutes.
