A discomfiting, Highsmith-esque tale of a young family on holiday and a former tennis player-turned resort coach, Islands holds the viewer in a constant state of uncertainty, and asks more questions than it resolves. Islands has its UK premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025.
Co-written and directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, Islands is a gently tense (if that’s a thing) thriller, whose title plays on both the geographical location of the film’s setting (the Canary Isles, holiday destination for Europeans for decades) and the feeling that each of its main characters is emotionally isolated in some way.
Former tennis pro, now exclusive resort coach Tom (Sam Riley) should be living a comfy lifestyle in the Canary Isles – giving a few lessons to wealthy clients during the day, and heading to the clubs at night. But it’s soon apparent that Tom is stuck in a rut, and this paradise island is not giving him what he wanted. Waking up most mornings in a drunken stupor in a strange bed, or on the beach or a pool side deck chair, Tom’s ennui is punctured by the arrival of the McGuire family at the resort.
Tom has the feeling he has seen Anne (Stacy Martin) before, but she puts it down to her having been an actress for a short time, before having her son Anton (Dylan Torrell) almost eight years ago. Although fully-booked for the week, Tom succumbs to Anne’s understated allure and agrees to give Anton some tennis lessons. On the second day, Anne’s husband Dave (Jack Farthing) accompanies his son, and Tom is persuaded to become a last-minute tour guide for the family. Dave proves himself to be a bit of a scumbag, and tensions between the married pair are obvious. Then one morning, Dave has disappeared. Anne’s behaviour seems peculiar in the circumstances, and Tom finds himself drawn into the situation and into a closer relationship with Anton.
Although something of a psychological thriller, Islands never dramatically pulls the rug out from under viewers, but the sands gradually shift, sometimes almost imperceptibly, so that there’s a constant feeling of discomfort. After Dave’s disappearance, the tension between Tom and Anne also increases; there’s a bizarre sense of familiarity and attraction, but also some uncertainty on Tom’s part as to what Anne actually expects from him.
The mood of the film belies the bright sunshine and busy shorelines of a holiday resort. The pounding waves and volcanic scenery are threatening rather than inviting, and this group of people seem to be existing outside of the usual devil-may-care attitude generally associated with all-inclusive holidays. The incessant air of mystery, supported by a gorgeous yet sparsely-employed score from Dasha Dauenhauer, is what binds them together.
Islands is the type of film that keeps viewers guessing, but not in the dark – we learn about events along with Tom, and even then the ending is left open to interpretation.
Islands plays at Edinburgh International Film Festival (14th – 20th August 2025) and is in UK & Irish cinemas on 12th September.
A discomfiting, Highsmith-esque tale of a young family on holiday and a former tennis player-turned resort coach, Islands holds the viewer in a constant state of uncertainty, and asks more questions than it resolves. Islands has its UK premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025.
Co-written and directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, Islands is a gently tense (if that’s a thing) thriller, whose title plays on both the geographical location of the film’s setting (the Canary Isles, holiday destination for Europeans for decades) and the feeling that each of its main characters is emotionally isolated in some way.
Former tennis pro, now exclusive resort coach Tom (Sam Riley) should be living a comfy lifestyle in the Canary Isles – giving a few lessons to wealthy clients during the day, and heading to the clubs at night. But it’s soon apparent that Tom is stuck in a rut, and this paradise island is not giving him what he wanted. Waking up most mornings in a drunken stupor in a strange bed, or on the beach or a pool side deck chair, Tom’s ennui is punctured by the arrival of the McGuire family at the resort.
Tom has the feeling he has seen Anne (Stacy Martin) before, but she puts it down to her having been an actress for a short time, before having her son Anton (Dylan Torrell) almost eight years ago. Although fully-booked for the week, Tom succumbs to Anne’s understated allure and agrees to give Anton some tennis lessons. On the second day, Anne’s husband Dave (Jack Farthing) accompanies his son, and Tom is persuaded to become a last-minute tour guide for the family. Dave proves himself to be a bit of a scumbag, and tensions between the married pair are obvious. Then one morning, Dave has disappeared. Anne’s behaviour seems peculiar in the circumstances, and Tom finds himself drawn into the situation and into a closer relationship with Anton.
Although something of a psychological thriller, Islands never dramatically pulls the rug out from under viewers, but the sands gradually shift, sometimes almost imperceptibly, so that there’s a constant feeling of discomfort. After Dave’s disappearance, the tension between Tom and Anne also increases; there’s a bizarre sense of familiarity and attraction, but also some uncertainty on Tom’s part as to what Anne actually expects from him.
The mood of the film belies the bright sunshine and busy shorelines of a holiday resort. The pounding waves and volcanic scenery are threatening rather than inviting, and this group of people seem to be existing outside of the usual devil-may-care attitude generally associated with all-inclusive holidays. The incessant air of mystery, supported by a gorgeous yet sparsely-employed score from Dasha Dauenhauer, is what binds them together.
Islands is the type of film that keeps viewers guessing, but not in the dark – we learn about events along with Tom, and even then the ending is left open to interpretation.
Islands plays at Edinburgh International Film Festival (14th – 20th August 2025) and is in UK & Irish cinemas on 12th September.
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