Journey in the Arctic

Dr. Augustine is a solitary man. When a global catastrophe strikes and other personnel abandon an Arctic Circle observatory, Augustine (George Clooney) prefers to remain behind, on his own, content with his whiskey and his medicine. But is he truly alone? Relationships are the theme of The Midnight Sky, an entertaining new Netflix film.

As disaster spreads around planet Earth, the spaceship Aether is returning after two years from K-23, an inhabitable moon orbiting Jupiter. Most crew members are eager to get home: Recorded holograms of their families and friends can’t replace real relationships. Since they left K-23, they’ve been unable to communicate with NASA, fellow spaceships, or anyone else back on Earth.

Soon after the others have evacuated the observatory, Augustine finds a little girl left behind, Iris, who will not—or cannot—talk. Desperate to connect with the crew of the Aether, he takes the child with him on a cold and dangerous journey to a weather station he hopes will enable communication to the voyagers.

The travelers in the Arctic narrowly escape treacherous ice breakups, blizzard conditions, and wolf attacks. (The PG-13 film contains a few frightening scenes and two instances of blasphemy.)

The Midnight Sky is really more about what makes us human than about dazzling adventure. People need relationships with family, friends, and fellow travelers on their journey through life. It’s a lesson even the isolated Dr. Augustine must learn.