Overview
A man's strange gifts bring hope and confusion to a secluded monastery in Northern Russia.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- bleak
- mystical
- contemplative
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize a heartfelt, visually striking spiritual drama with an ultimately optimistic core, while some find its piety and self-consciousness heavy-handed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Anatoli spends decades in monastic devotion and healing while carrying guilt over Tikhon's wartime death.
The monastery sits on a stark island in northern Russia, and the bleak landscape frames Anatoli's ascetic life.
Father Anatoli confounds the monks while visitors seek his healing, exorcism, and prophetic abilities.
The wartime killing in 1942 is followed by Anatoli's extended life among the monks and his gradual transformation.
Films like The Island, and why
Andrei Rublev
shared themes of guilt, religious faith, redemption, and austere spiritual drama
Leviathan
shared contemplative religious atmosphere, moral anguish, and russian cultural context
The Mission
shared emphasis on penance, grace, miracles, and emotionally solemn spiritual renewal
Of Gods and Men
shared austere monastery setting, saintly figures, and tension between earthly suffering and transcendence
Movie Details
- Director
- Pavel Lungin
- Release Date
- 2006-11-23
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (172)
Cast
- Pyotr Mamonov
- Viktor Sukhorukov
- Yuriy Kuznetsov
- Dmitriy Dyuzhev
- Viktoriya Isakova
- Aleksey Zelensky
- Timofey Tribuntsev
- Nina Usatova
- Yana Esipovich
- Olga Demidova
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Island about?
- A haunted Russian monk pursues redemption through decades of ascetic service, becoming an unlikely vessel for healing and prophecy.
- What is The Island like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Island as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Island violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Island as mild.
- What did critics think of The Island?
- Critics broadly recognize a heartfelt, visually striking spiritual drama with an ultimately optimistic core, while some find its piety and self-consciousness heavy-handed.
- Which films are like The Island?
- Films with a similar feel include Andrei Rublev, Leviathan, The Mission, and Of Gods and Men.
- How long is The Island?
- The Island runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Island?
- In United States, The Island is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
