Film

A Film That Nudges at the Quiet Trap of Complacent Solitude

26 January 2026

The belief that man is not an island unto himself is widely accepted. More elusive is the distinction between solitude as a deliberate escape and loneliness as its unintended consequence. That ambiguity has always lent isolation a double-edged quality in storytelling — comforting in theory, corrosive in practice.

For the German production, Islands, escape comes from lack of exposure and complacency with the present. It’s not necessarily unpleasant, but once it stops being a distraction from life’s anxieties, peace begins to feel like a burden. Why director Jan-Ole Gerster feels this idea warrants a two-hour slow-burn drama is a harder question to answer. Islands feels less like a destination than a prolonged pause. It’s watchable, occasionally absorbing, but rarely urgent. It’s hard to shake off the feeling that Gerster introduces narrative ideas he has little interest in fully developing.

In Islands, One Man’s Solitude is Another’s Paradise

Nobody’s life fits the everyday definition of boring more than Tom’s (Sam Riley) in Islands. Holed up in a hotel resort on the beautiful island of Fuerteventura — part of Spain’s Canary Islands — Tom spends his days as a tennis coach, bouncing balls and serving aces for sun-soaked tourists. His nights are spent drifting between a club-slash-bar called Waikiki, casual affairs, or prepping for another identical day. He was once legendary at what he does; his friends call him “Ace,” a moniker earned after a locally legendary match against Rafael Nadal that he somehow won. But alcohol and moments of nothingness have dulled his craft, and it’s a good guess as to the toll it has taken on him.

For the tourists looking to escape from wives, children, and city stress, Fuerteventura is paradise. For Tom, it’s harder to tell whether this life is a reward or a holding pattern. Tourists think he’s a lucky man. “This is just the most beautiful place to work,” says one tourist; another lists perks as “no parenting, couple counseling or wailing emptiness.” However, even he (Tom) doesn’t think that much of himself.

He may outwardly fashion isolation beyond his extremely small circle, but Tom’s decency — refusing tips even when pressed, and genuinely caring about his clients — keeps him in everyone’s good books. This especially draws the attention of the Maguire family, tourists whose picture-perfect holiday masks visible fractures. Getting close to the British couple makes him realize that his life needs a bit more spice. As he sinks deeper into the family’s island-wide mystery, he’s continually confronted with a blunt refrain: “This isn’t your business. Why do you need to be involved?” A challenge the film poses often and he never fully answers.

Islands Has Some Really Strong Performances

Sam Riley and Stacy Martin in Islands film

Sam Riley is the only easily recognizable face in Islands for Anglophone viewers, and it helps that he’s the lead. Having previously appeared in projects as varied as The Vault and the Maleficent films, it’s no surprise that he’s within his depth here. Riley’s restrained vulnerability to Tom suits the material. His shy, almost apologetic demeanor suggests contentment, even when the audience senses something quietly gnawing beneath the surface.

Stacy Martin also proves she’s just as skilled as Riley. As Anne, her eyes reveal the very trouble with the island that cannot really be deciphered. “What’s her aim here?” She is, clearly, not happy with her marriage or the vacation, for that matter. But why Fuerteventura? Why this random island for someone who has traveled many-a-destination? Her character leaves many questions unanswered, but never the substance of the actress’s performance.

Not to gloss over the quality of other acts, but it’s always breathtaking to witness Ramiro Blas on screen. The 59-year-old Argentine did wonders in the Netflix Spanish series, Locked Up, and once again weaponizes his gravelly voice and controlled intensity in Islands. Little wonder he’s the actor of choice to drop the bomb when the plot starts twisting.

Jan-Ole Gerster’s Script is Open-Ended, and Not for the Better

It’s hard to single out any one specific event in Islands that transforms the protagonist. At one point, the film flirts with being a murder mystery, which might have entirely validated its two-hour runtime. Instead, it retreats, and in the end, it’s uncertain whether Tom’s emotional resolve is duly earned.

The choice to leave out a backstory in this “island of a man” story seems smart, but over time, it becomes a liability. Without insight into who Tom was before the island, the film’s themes of escape and stagnation lose weight. What might have been profound ends up feeling vague. Does loneliness bother Tom? Absolutely. Is inserting himself into the Maguires’ turmoil a healthier alternative to isolation? The film seems to think in the affirmative. Plus, there’s no indication whatsoever of what any of the characters look forward to: not Tom, Anne, her son Anton (Dylan Torrell), or her husband Dave (Jack Farthing).

Rolling beaches, sun-baked hotels and endless blue horizons aside — and there’s a bucket load of those here — Gerster’s camera often feels more enamoured with the setting than the story it’s meant to support. The island itself serves nothing more than a visual sedative to calm the film’s numbing touch of thematic ideas stacked incoherently