Written and directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, co-written by Lawrie Doran and Blaž Kutin, Tom, a tennis pro washed up on a holiday island. Now he’s the coach at a hotel resort, hitting countless balls over the net to tourists. When he crosses paths with a particular tourist family, it seems he’s found an escape of his own. Starring: Sam Riley, Stacy Martin, Jack Farthing, Dylan Torrell, Agnes Lindström Bolmgren, Bruna Cusí and Pep Ambròs.
What stands out about Islands quite quickly is that Jan-Ole Gerster is taking things old school. He’s returning to the golden era of quiet, slow-burning mystery-thrillers, creating that constant sense of foreboding and letting the audience’s imagination run away from them. The writers do a terrific job of creating that gradually unravelling feel, there’s no shocking reveal or sudden twists and turns, it’s peppering the story with details that change the perspective of moments we’ve already seen. It’s such a classic way of presenting a story, and it’s refreshing to see it done well here.
Especially when it’s supported by the excellent cinematography from Juan Sarmiento G., who not only does a lot with those stunning landscapes but instils a curious, intriguing quality to the aesthetic consistently throughout the whole film. Along with the direction from Gerster, they create an atmosphere dense with tension, without ever making it heavy or fatalistic. It’s perfectly ominous and even a little bit sweet. They do a terrific job of holding your attention and giving you just enough to keep the mystery going.
The performances are similarly great, Sam Riley makes for a wonderful lead in Tom. He’s messy yet kind, untethered yet caring, it’s an interesting mix that Riley does a lot with, without actually having to do that much. Stacy Martin makes for a strong scene partner, the connection between the two of them is nicely clear yet undefined, which perfectly matches the nature of her character. Martin does a great job of keeping you guessing, whereas Jack Farthing’s Dave is completely out in the open, faults and all.
Combine that all together and you’ve got the ingredients for a strong cinematic outing, and for the most part it is, but ultimately, the motives of this story are fairly disappointing. The way that Islands moves is getting you to look in the wrong place, to give importance to the wrong things. When really, it’s telling a much simpler story, one that’s fairly sad and repressed. That story still absolutely works but when it’s framed in the way which the writers chose here, it’s unsatisfying and can feel like you were slightly misled. Although you can certainly see the intention to play around with the themes in a distinct and more accessible way.
Islands has a strong aesthetic with a compelling atmosphere and throws it back to the beloved mystery-thrillers of classic cinema. It’s very well made, Jan-Ole Gerster’s directorial style is captivating and confident, perfectly balancing the quietness with mystery. Sam Riley leads the story with a deceptive simplicity while Stacy Martin clearly knows how to play her cards close to the chest. It was an interesting way to choose to tell this story, one that does ultimately prove unsatisfying but entertaining, nonetheless.
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