Islands

Play trailer

1:45

Islands

Jan 2026

2h 1m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom (Sam Riley) teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist (Stacy Martin) arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband (Jack Farthing) disappears, and the police suspect Tom.

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Critics Consensus

A glossy, slow burn thriller carried by soulful performances, Islands compellingly explores loneliness with artful restraint and intoxicating atmosphere.

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John Powers

NPR

Feb 19

In its blend of high-art style and pulp crime story, Islands is a nifty piece of what we might call Existential Pop.

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Carlos Aguilar

RogerEbert.com

Jan 30

3/4

The character construction and how their respective desires intersect with one another, in tandem with an effectively dizzying atmosphere, render it more original than expected.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Jan 30

3/4

A sexy tennis bum (Sam Riley) and a married woman (Stacy Martin) meet at a resort and stir up murderous thoughts in a too cryptic thriller fthat recalls Hitchcock and Antonioni while revealing a tormented mind of its own.

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Kim Hughes

Original Cin

1d

A

Writer-director Jan-Ole Gerster’s low-boil psychological drama unfolds gradually but lands impactfully, its fantastic cinematography and deeply committed performances propelling it throughout.

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Ruth Maramis

FlixChatter Film Blog

Feb 21

3/5

Great to see the underrated Sam Riley in a meaty lead role. Marketed as a psychological thriller, it leans more towards a mystery drama that might seem uneventful at first, yet it stays with you long after the credits roll.

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Matthew Simpson

That Shelf

Feb 9

Islands is a film that doesn’t demand your attention but does reward it. It exists in a place of both distance and familiarity for the viewer, and those who have felt lost at some point in their in life will surely connect with it.

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Angela L

Feb 8

I dont get the high positive review for this movie. I found it slow and boring with no point.

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caldera

Feb 8

Horrible no pointt what so ever

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Remy

Feb 1

Don't know where they were going with the movie but enjoyed it enough for the vibes

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Scott M.

@Skeeeeezo Feb 7

I felt more curious than intrigued, as neither the characters, nor the dialogue were engaging enough.

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A N

@A.F.N Feb 1

The dead camel symbolism pretty much summed this movie up. It trudged along through the sand, plodding steadily, and when it got to its destination, it wondered why it bothered in the first place. Luckily, the view was pretty along the way.

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Marco K

@Marco69 Oct 17

Slow long-winded film. Not much psychology, without logic. Certainly not a thriller. Stupid disappointing plot and ending

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Jan-Ole Gerster

Director

Sam Riley

Tom

Stacy Martin

Anne

Jack Farthing

Dave

Dylan Torrell

Anton

Pep Ambròs

Jorge

Islands: Trailer 1

1:45

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Synopsis

In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom (Sam Riley) teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist (Stacy Martin) arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband (Jack Farthing) disappears, and the police suspect Tom.

Director: Jan-Ole Gerster
Producer: Maximilian Leo, Jonas Katzenstein
Screenwriter: Jan-Ole Gerster, Lawrie Doran, Blaz Kutin
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Leonine Studios, Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, NRW Film Board, Augenschein Filmproduktion, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Schiwago Film
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 30, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 13, 2026
Runtime: 2h 1m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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