New video: ‘Arctic’ is a stark survivalist drama

New on Blu-ray

“Arctic” (Universal DVD, $22.98; Blu-ray, $26.95; also available on VOD)

A stark survivalist drama, “Arctic” stars Mads Mikkelsen as a resourceful man stranded in the icy north, struggling to stay warm and fed while waiting to be rescued. When he stumbles across another person stuck in the middle of nowhere — a young woman (María Thelma Smáradóttir) in need of medical attention — the hero risks the relative security of his makeshift shelter to go looking for help. Directed by Joe Penna, “Arctic” keeps back story and dialogue to a minimum, focusing almost entirely on the urgent demands of making it through another day in the freezing cold. The film’s a must for fans of movies like “All Is Lost” and “Cast Away,” which take a detailed look at life-or-death situations.

[Special features: Deleted scenes and featurettes]

VOD

“Knock Down the House” (available 5/1 on Netflix)

Documentary filmmaker Rachel Lears started following popular freshman U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez early in her campaign to represent New York’s 14th district, getting intimate, one-of-a-kind footage of the Democratic politician’s surprising run. Lears’ doc isn’t just about Ocasio-Cortez; it covers three other first-time female candidates as well, from across the country. But the controversial “AOC” is the movie’s main selling point, and what’ll likely make this doc a valuable historical document.

TV set of the week

“Adventure Time: The Complete Collection” (Warner Bros. DVD, $112.99)

When Cartoon Network started airing “Adventure Time” in 2010, the lightly comic psychedelic fantasy — about a sword-wielding teen and his magic dog, romping through a post-apocalyptic landscape — came across like a toned-down version of one of the channel’s Adult Swim series, with its occasional retreats into slapstick violence and toilet humor. By the time “Adventure Time” ended in 2018, it had developed into an intricately plotted and emotionally stirring epic, transforming familiar elements from kiddie cartoons, video games and RPGs, using them as metaphors for friendship, regret and growing up. The nearly 300 episodes on the “Adventure Time: The Complete Collection” set are a remarkable achievement in American popular culture, sure to be enjoyed for decades to come.

[Special features: Extensive behind-the-scenes featurettes]

From the archives

“Police Story/Police Story 2” (Criterion DVD, $39.95; Blu-ray, $49.95)

Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan had a frustrating experience when he tried to cross over to the American market in the early ’80s. His failures in Hollywood changed the way Chan thought about storytelling and stunts, setting the stage for 1985’s “Police Story,” one of the most spectacular and influential martial arts moves ever made. In that film and its 1988 sequel, Chan is part Buster Keaton, part Steve McQueen, playing a bumbling cop who keeps finding himself hanging off speeding buses, smashing through mall windows or punching his way through dozens of gangsters in a multi-story warehouse. The plots are an afterthought. The “Police Story” pictures are primarily a compendium of astonishing set-pieces, performed with the wit and grace of a master showman.

[Special features: New and vintage interviews]

Three more to see

“Dragged Across Concrete” (Lionsgate DVD, $19.98; Blu-ray, $22.99; also available on VOD); “Miss Bala” (Sony DVD, $30.99; Blu-ray, $34.99; also available on VOD); “Serenity” (Universal DVD, $29.98; Blu-ray, $34.98; also available on VOD)

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