Islands

Play trailer

1:45

Islands

Jan 2026

2h 1m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

54 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom (Sam Riley) teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist (Stacy Martin) arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband (Jack Farthing) disappears, and the police suspect Tom.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A glossy, slow burn thriller carried by soulful performances, Islands compellingly explores loneliness with artful restraint and intoxicating atmosphere.

Read Critics Reviews

John Powers

NPR

Feb 19, 2026

In its blend of high-art style and pulp crime story, Islands is a nifty piece of what we might call Existential Pop.

Go to Full Review

Carlos Aguilar

RogerEbert.com

Jan 30, 2026

3/4

The character construction and how their respective desires intersect with one another, in tandem with an effectively dizzying atmosphere, render it more original than expected.

Go to Full Review

Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Jan 30, 2026

3/4

A sexy tennis bum (Sam Riley) and a married woman (Stacy Martin) meet at a resort and stir up murderous thoughts in a too cryptic thriller fthat recalls Hitchcock and Antonioni while revealing a tormented mind of its own.

Go to Full Review

James Croot

The Post NZ

Aug 13, 2026

3.5/5

Beautifully shot and well acted by the central trio, Islands is a film of moods and feelings, rather than a propulsive narrative. But it certainly intrigues enough to draw you in and leave you thinking, long after the credits roll.

Go to Full Review

Kyle Wolfe

Pop Culture Leftovers

May 30, 2026

Islands may not resonate with everyone, particularly those craving momentum or clear answers, but for viewers attuned to its wavelength, it leaves a lingering impression.

Go to Full Review

Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

May 5, 2026

3/5

This familiar-feeling psychological drama is given a mysterious, existential twist by German director Jan-Ole Gerster.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Angela L

Feb 8, 2026

I dont get the high positive review for this movie. I found it slow and boring with no point.

See more

caldera

Feb 8, 2026

Horrible no pointt what so ever

See more

Remy

Feb 1, 2026

Don't know where they were going with the movie but enjoyed it enough for the vibes

See more

Remco D

@RT81170617 4 days ago

I watched and I watched, it was slow. The setting was somewhat interesting and kept me watching. It always seemed like we were about to get a big twist and all the action would start. But the real twist? There is NO TWIST! Slow pacing, and the end fizzled out to nothing, just nothing.

See more

James S

@DuckDeez 6 days ago

I have no idea what constitutes a “thriller” these days but using “Hitchcockian” to describe this is blasphemy. If you want any sort of suspense do not watch this. PLEASE TRUST ME

See more

Aldis H

@plever Sep 5, 2026

Shades of a lot of things including a bit of The Stranger by Camus. Really subtle and affecting movie.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Jan-Ole Gerster

Director

Sam Riley

Tom

Stacy Martin

Anne

Jack Farthing

Dave

Dylan Torrell

Anton

Pep Ambròs

Jorge

Monster

97%

90%

Monster

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Monster

It Was Just an Accident

98%

93%

It Was Just an Accident

Watchlist

TRAILER

for It Was Just an Accident

The Beasts

99%

86%

The Beasts

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Beasts

Miroirs No. 3

95%

%

Miroirs No. 3

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Miroirs No. 3

Next Sohee

94%

88%

Next Sohee

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Islands: Trailer 1

1:45

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom (Sam Riley) teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist (Stacy Martin) arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband (Jack Farthing) disappears, and the police suspect Tom.

Director: Jan-Ole Gerster
Producer: Maximilian Leo, Jonas Katzenstein
Screenwriter: Jan-Ole Gerster, Lawrie Doran, Blaz Kutin
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Leonine Studios, Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, NRW Film Board, Augenschein Filmproduktion, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Schiwago Film
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 30, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 13, 2026
Runtime: 2h 1m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings