The 12th Man

A war film that wears superior influences on its sleeve. On the flipside, it brings us the best reindeer-chase scene ever committed to film.

A bold end to an original version of a familiar tale.

Baalsrud never claimed to be a hero and the emphasis of this gripping reconstruction rightly falls on the resourcefulness, courage and self-sacrifice of those who epitomised the spirit of resistance.

A handsomely produced but laborious, drawn-out and dramatically inert movie...

The best freedom-fighting reindeer in all of cinema can be found right here in "The 12th Man."

When Baalsrud, played with resilience by Thomas Gullestad, isn't dodging Germans, his fights against the elements bring to mind films such as The Revenant.

Riveting both visually and narratively.

Although initially the movie is a bit of a slog, the final leg is superbly staged and finger-chewingly tense, and it left me with almost as few nails as our frostbitten hero.

Each sequence is informative and involving, with moments of strong suspense as well as some low-key emotional resonance.

The 12th Man is shamelessly old-fashioned, but sincere in capturing quiet stoicism.