Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- austere
- contemplative
- eerie
- quiet evening
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics generally found the film visually striking but dramatically thin, with an underdeveloped mystery and uneven performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David is a foreign photographer drawn into an Icelandic investigation and the concealed lives of local inhabitants.
The plot foregrounds questions of morality, virtue, infidelity, and personal responsibility around the deserted body and the couple.
Remote Icelandic locations and dramatic autumn scenery mirror David's estrangement and growing entanglement.
Marie’s shiftiness exposes concealed tensions involving her Icelandic husband Jóhann and intensifies David’s fascination.
Films like Autumn Lights, and why
The Double Life of Véronique
shared slow burn mystery, outsider protagonist, remote European setting, and morally ambiguous relationships
The American
shared atmospheric investigation, emotional alienation, and enigmatic interpersonal relationships in an unfamiliar place
The Limits of Control
shared introspective outsider perspective, sparse pacing, and psychological unease shaped by an austere landscape
Movie Details
- Director
- Angad Aulakh
- Release Date
- 2016-10-21
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.2 / 10 (29)
Cast
- Guy Kent
- Marta Gastini
- Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson
- Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir
- Stefán Hallur Stefánsson
- Snorri Engilbertsson
- Sveinn Geirsson
- Salome R. Gunnarsdottir
- Kolbeinn Arnbjörnsson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 Autumn Lights about?
- An introverted American photographer becomes entangled in an Icelandic death investigation and the secrets of a troubled married couple.
- What is Autumn Lights like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Autumn Lights as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Autumn Lights violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Autumn Lights as mild.
- What did critics think of Autumn Lights?
- Critics generally found the film visually striking but dramatically thin, with an underdeveloped mystery and uneven performances.
- Which films are like Autumn Lights?
- Films with a similar feel include The Double Life of Véronique, The American, and The Limits of Control.
- How long is Autumn Lights?
- Autumn Lights runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Autumn Lights?
- In United States, Autumn Lights streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
