50
Barrow's frozen vistas are a perfect match for the noir tone of On the Ice. Unfortunately, the emotional landscape of MacLean's stoic main character, Qalli, is often as blank as the tundra.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
40
More than a moral dilemma is needed to make up for the uneven performances, slack pacing and wonky dialogue, and while MacLean certainly has a keen eye, the rest of his storytelling facilities haven't quite caught up with it yet.
65
In most respects, On the Ice is the kind of straight-ahead, underprivileged-teen drama beloved of Sundance audiences.
50
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
Glinting white vistas and endless light blanket On the Ice, a frigid drama that's tough to warm up to.
40
New York Daily News by Joe Neumaier
If "Ice" never really solidifies, it's nonetheless the work of a filmmaker whose seriousness is worth watching out for.
60
Wall Street Journal by John Anderson
Writer-director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, who in his feature debut has lashed together a sturdy vehicle for unadorned morality and pragmatic justice.
75
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
This is an uncommonly involving thriller. I could call it a film noir, except that the sun never sets in the film. That makes a perfect contrast with the only other feature filmed in Barrow, the vampire movie "30 Days of Night" (2007), in which it never rises.