Islands Review: Sun, Suspicion, and a Thriller That Refuses to Sweat

There’s a familiar pleasure in watching a movie that wants to be sleek, sun-drenched, and vaguely dangerous—even when it never quite decides how sharp it wants its blade to be.  "Islands", directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, sets its table nicely, pours a stiff drink, and then spends much of its runtime circling the mystery rather than plunging straight into it.

Sam Riley’s Tom is a resort tennis coach by day, a restless party drifter by night—one of those characters who looks like he’s perpetually avoiding his own reflection. Riley plays him with an appealing looseness, a performance that feels lived-in rather than performed. You believe Tom belongs on these islands, drifting between courts, cocktails, and casual hookups, even as the film hints that something in him is unresolved. There’s a hollowness beneath the tan, and Riley lets it flicker just enough to keep us curious.

When Stacy Martin’s enigmatic tourist arrives, "Islands" shifts gears, or at least attempts to. Martin has a fabulous, watchful presence, and the script wisely allows her to remain slightly unknowable. The idea that Tom may have met her before—somewhere, sometime—becomes one of the film’s most intriguing psychological hooks, though it’s teased more than thoroughly interrogated. Attraction and tension blur together, and Gerster seems content to let discomfort do the heavy lifting.

The disappearance of her husband, played by Jack Farthing, doesn’t explode the narrative so much as quietly tighten it. Once suspicion turns toward Tom, Islands flirts with becoming a full-fledged thriller. This is where the film both finds and limits itself. Gerster clearly favors mood and ambiguity over procedural mechanics, and while that restraint can feel confident, it also drains urgency from what should be the story’s sharpest turn.

Visually, the tropical resort is both an asset and a liability. The sunlit beauty works as an ironic counterpoint to the creeping unease, but it occasionally slips into postcard mode, softening the film’s edge. Fatima Adoum provides steady, grounding support as the investigation unfolds, adding a welcome note of authority amid the haze.

In the end, “Islands" is a thriller that plays better as a vibe than a puzzle. It’s intriguing without being gripping, stylish without being revelatory. Like a long rally that never quite goes for the winner, it keeps the ball in play—leaving you engaged, mildly frustrated, and still thinking about the match after it’s over.

Final Grade: B