Islands

Jan-Ole Gerster's Islands 2025, a German film screened at Berlinale, isn't aiming for grand cinematic statements, and that's precisely its strength. This psychological drama, co-written by Gerster, Lawrie Doran, and Blaz Kutin, gracefully explores a personality crisis against the backdrop of a Spanish seaside resort, weaving in a criminal subplot and questions of infidelity with impressive subtlety.

The acting in Islands 2025 isn't flashy, but it's remarkably effective. Each performance feels natural and nuanced, adding layers of depth to the narrative. Stacy Martin is particularly captivating, exuding an almost aristocratic air. Her on-screen chemistry with Sam Riley is palpable from their very first scene together, creating a compelling dynamic.

One of the film's most intriguing aspects is its use of unspoken narratives. The past is hinted at, a forgotten event that resurfaces to influence the present, but the details are never explicitly revealed. Gerster masterfully avoids cliché devices like flashbacks or exposition, instead leaving it to the viewer to piece together the fragments and interpret the characters' motivations. This delicate approach is both engaging and thought-provoking.

Minor characters, like the local and federal police officers, and especially a camel, leave a memorable impression, adding to the film's rich tapestry. The visuals and sound design effectively immerse the audience in the setting, enhancing the overall atmosphere.

Islands 2025 doesn't pretend to be a masterpiece, but within its chosen scope, it achieves near perfection. Beneath the surface story lies a subtle exploration of exploitation - how we are exploited by others, how we exploit ourselves, and the choices we make in response. This subtext, while understated, adds a layer of depth that lingers after the credits roll. It's a film that stays with you, inviting reflection and interpretation.

Where in our present day can one find characters who could have stepped out of a 1940s film noir? Where does a washed-up man, trapped by his disillusionment, suddenly encounter a mysterious femme fatale? Of course, in one of the hotbeds of modern mass tourism!

In his first English-language (and also Spanish-language) film, German director Jan Ole GERSTER (OH BOY and LARA) casts British actor Sam RILEY as a tennis coach on the holiday island of Fuerteventura. Tom must have once been a big name in tennis, but now he gives petty lessons to tourists from a luxury hotel. One day, the capricious Anne (great Stacy MARTIN, known from NYMPHOMANIAC) asks him to give her young son lessons. The already somewhat neglected Tom is increasingly drawn into the life of the mysterious beauty and soon meets her husband Dave (Jack FARTHING, Prince Charles from SPENCER). Then something monstrous happens: After a night of partying with Tom, Dave goes missing. Murder? Accident? What happened? Things escalate and change direction more than once...

What an outstandingly crafted film! Beautiful images, suspense-building music (by European Film Award winner Dascha DAUENHAUER, who won the award in 2020 for BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ), and a story you wouldn't expect! The risk that GERSTER took with what he calls his VACATION NOIR was truly worth it. At some point in the film, there is a spectacularly filmed rescue operation on the open sea that takes your breath away. This moment alone is a highlight of the German cinematic year.

The Spanish supporting actors, who play native Canarians, are also very convincing: Bruna Cusi as hotel receptionist Maria and Pep Ambrós as police officer Jorge are just some of the highlights. Beautiful images (cinematography: Juan Sarmiento G.) of the island and the towns of Corralejo and Pájara blur the boundaries between dreamlike paradise and an apocalyptic desert landscape.

Despite its huge success at the 2025 German Film Awards, with nominations for lead actor Sam Riley (married to Bambi award winner Alexandra Maria Lara), producers Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo, and the award for Dascha Dauenhauer, the film only attracted around 50,000 admissions to German cinemas in the first three months since its theatrical release. This is such a shame and vastly undeserved. Many more viewers should see this remarkable film, so atypical of German cinema.

Anyone who has ever lived and worked on a holiday island will appreciate this extraordinary holiday shocker with its very quiet tones even more.

No pun intended - some movies hit you the right way, some do not. And this one ... I assume most will either be super excited about it, others will be super annoyed by it. The trailer probably made the movie look differently. And while I try to avoid watching trailers ... well I had no choice but to see it - tough to look away when you sit in a cinema.

Anyway, the being different than one thinks is a good, but maybe also a bad thing. There are many ingredients that should make this a movie that hits it right out of the park (which would be more of a baseball term, but wait for it) ... yet it seems to fail and hit the net (there you go with the tennis pun).

The which one is yours (and I may not be talking about the tennis racket here) and many other more subtle things (you said that) ... and many ... many indications that we as viewers can put together to get a picture of things way before the movie started ... those things are really well done ... but funnily enough not ...enough to be super convincing.

There is history - and there is her story ... and their story in this case too. The movie does not make a big fuss about the relationship (especially the past one) ... but you have to wonder if there was an elaborate plan after all? Well you can decide that - and in the meantime really hate the main character for doing almost everything one shouldn't be doing - even things he has been explicitly told not to do (watch out what you tell them - there is a witness) ... so while there is mystery ... the bigger mystery remains: where is this supposed to be going? Or him? Or them of course ... not sure if ... a character finally put two and two together and acted upon it ... I just know that it did not feel as satisfying as it should ... or I thought it should ...

The film aims to dive into the deep sea of emotions, offering a psychological portrait of a man adrift-without goals or direction-set against an otherwise idyllic landscape. As he finally gets confronted by his past, the story presents him with a chance to change his life.

*** However, in the end, the film fails to fully deliver. While the cinematography is solid and captures the beauty of its setting, it isn't enough to compensate for the script's inconsistencies and narrative leaps. The film treats its viewers as smart enough to understand what is implied by the script but most crucially, it struggles to forge a real connection between the audience and its main characters. Just when it feels like something significant is about to happen, the momentum deflates, creating a persistent sense of detachment.

*** The final result feels like a missed opportunity. While Islands had the potential to be a compelling character study, it ultimately leaves a bitter aftertaste, making one question whether the two-hour runtime was truly worthwhile.

This is not the movie you will watch with your friends and you are all having a fun evening. It's no popcorn movie and you won't see it ever again.

The thing is, it's kind of like with white lotus. In a cinema where every movie wants to be the loudest, prettiest and deepest; Islands is the shy girl in the corner and will definitely test your patience and attention span.

It's not good, it's not brilliant, it's not THE biggest movie of the year - it's the movie you casually see on a Wednesday evening because you had nothing better to do. It is surprising how something so "boring" can make you feel so many things. Go watch it, but don't watch it now and never trust the dumb cut trailer!'

Enjoy.