Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- atmospheric
- uneasy
- quiet evening
- arthouse movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly admire the film as an atmospheric, tightly controlled crime drama, though some question whether its restrained approach qualifies as a conventional thriller.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tom works among wealthy tourists while becoming entangled with Anne and Dave's family.
Washed-up tennis professional Tom repeats lessons at a resort while drinking and pursuing transient relationships.
The Spanish holiday island and hotel resort contrast with Dave's disappearance and the ensuing suspicion.
Dave goes missing after befriending Tom, leading Anne to report the disappearance and police to investigate.
Films like Islands, and why
The Talented Mr. Ripley
shared sunlit resort setting, class privilege, seductive social entanglement, and crime beneath leisure
A Bigger Splash
shared affluent vacation atmosphere, psychological unease, marital tension, and morally ambiguous drama
The Vanishing
shared disappearance mystery, restrained dread, psychological observation, and gradual moral destabilization
Movie Details
- Director
- Jan Ole Gerster
- Release Date
- 2025-05-08
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (58)
Cast
- Sam Riley
- Stacy Martin
- Jack Farthing
- Dylan Torrell
- Agnes Lindström Bolmgren
- Bruna Cusí
- Pep Ambròs
- Fatima Adoum
- Maya Unger
- Ahmed Boulane
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Islands about?
- A washed-up tennis coach on a Spanish holiday island is pulled into a wealthy family's disappearance mystery, where escape gradually becomes entanglement.
- What is Islands like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Islands as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Islands violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Islands.
- What did critics think of Islands?
- Critics broadly admire the film as an atmospheric, tightly controlled crime drama, though some question whether its restrained approach qualifies as a conventional thriller.
- Which films are like Islands?
- Films with a similar feel include The Talented Mr. Ripley, A Bigger Splash, and The Vanishing.
- How long is Islands?
- Islands runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Islands?
- In United States, Islands is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
