A White, White Day
In a stark Icelandic town, a grieving police chief turns suspicion about his late wife's secret life into a dangerous descent through jealousy, anger, and love.
Overview
A gripping tale of obsession and grief unfolds in a stark, isolated landscape.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- foreboding
- austere
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed Hlynur Pálmason's atmospheric slow-burn drama for its startling visual choices, psychological depth, and Ingvar E. Sigurðsson's layered performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The remote Icelandic town, fog, snow, and stark terrain mirror Ingimundur's grief, jealousy, and escalating anger.
Ingimundur's suspicion about his deceased wife's affair gradually becomes an obsession that threatens himself and those close to him.
The film centers on an off-duty police chief whose grief and jealousy remain largely unspoken while becoming increasingly destructive.
Critics specifically identify the film's deliberate pacing and its investment in slow-cinema atmospherics over ticking-clock momentum.
Films like A White, White Day, and why
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
shared slow cinema pacing, grief-driven obsession, austere rural atmosphere, and psychologically intense character study
Wind River
shared bleak landscape, masculine isolation, simmering revenge, and emotionally devastating drama
Rams
shared Icelandic setting, restrained visual style, family-centered grief, and darkly compassionate storytelling
Manchester by the Sea
shared melancholic atmosphere, moral ambiguity, and intimate examination of loss and damaged relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Hlynur Pálmason
- Release Date
- 2019-07-25
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (128)
Cast
- Ingvar E. Sigurðsson
- Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir
- Hilmir Snær Guðnason
- Björn Ingi Hilmarsson
- Elma Stefanía Ágústsdóttir
- Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir
- Haraldur Ari Stefánsson
- Sigurður Sigurjónsson
- Arnmundur Ernst Björnsson
- Laufey Elíasdóttir
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Film Movement Plus, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel
- 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 A White, White Day about?
- In a stark Icelandic town, a grieving police chief turns suspicion about his late wife's secret life into a dangerous descent through jealousy, anger, and love.
- What is A White, White Day like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A White, White Day as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A White, White Day violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A White, White Day as mild.
- What did critics think of A White, White Day?
- Critics broadly acclaimed Hlynur Pálmason's atmospheric slow-burn drama for its startling visual choices, psychological depth, and Ingvar E. Sigurðsson's layered performance.
- Which films are like A White, White Day?
- Films with a similar feel include The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Wind River, Rams, and Manchester by the Sea.
- How long is A White, White Day?
- A White, White Day runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch A White, White Day?
- In United States, A White, White Day streams on Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Film Movement Plus, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel.
