The North Water: ten films set in the wilderness

BBC2’s mid-19^th century Arctic whaling drama The North Water is earning critical praise for its gruelling depiction of seafaring life above the 66^th Parallel.

Murder, deceit, starvation, shipboard homosexuality (willing/unwilling), cannibalism (or at least hints of it in The North Water), an irate polar bear and deliberately scuttled ships feature in the drama.

If you’re thinking that the scenario of The North Water sounds familiar, you’d be right, as these elements were all present in season one of The Terror (2018, AMC), which was finally shown earlier this year, also on BBC2.

The North Water stars Colin Farrell (evil harpooner Henry Drax) and Jack O’Connell (emotionally damaged ships surgeon Patrick Sumner) both have form with endurance dramas, having previously starred in The Way Back (2010) and Unbroken (2014) respectively.

Tales of exploration and harrowing journeys have always proved popular at the cinema, including Scott of the Antarctic (1948), The Red Tent (1968), various versions of the doomed voyage of The Bounty (1935, 1962 and 1984) and, on television, the Ch4 mini-series Shackleton (2002), which starred Kenneth Branagh as the titular Antarctic explorer.