Islands
Greenwich Entertainment | Release Date: January 30, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Original-CinKim HughesMar 10, 2026
For a film where not a lot happens, and what does happen happens very slowly, Islands is strangely gripping. That could be the hypnotic effect of its endlessly sun-drenched Canary Island setting, as writer-director Jan-Ole Gerster dips his audience in the languorous pace of a holiday destination in this low-boil psychological drama. Read full review
90
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 9, 2025
A lean but revealing film of unexpected existential heft. Read full review
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichSep 9, 2025
Hypnotic from start to finish and unexpectedly hopeful for a movie with so much arsenic in its blood, Islands knows that even the greatest of vacations can never compete with the rewards of fostering a reality you actually want to return to when it’s over. Read full review
80
The New York TimesLisa KennedyJan 29, 2026
There’s a refreshing willfulness here to leave some quandaries lingering, and like the rough beauty of the volcanic island the movie is set on, Islands beckons and rebukes and beckons some more. Read full review
80
The TimesKevin MaherSep 11, 2025
It’s a classy, glossy production that’s frequently bathed in stunning crepuscular light (the Canary Islands’ tourist board should be thrilled). And thankfully it’s one that refuses to patronise the audience. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeySep 9, 2025
The film scores highly as a Highsmithian three-hander, and particularly excels at illuminating all the ways this trio have failed to grow up. It shimmers, convinces and thoroughly absorbs. Read full review
75
The Travers TakePeter TraversJan 30, 2026
A sexy tennis bum (Sam Riley) and a married woman (Stacy Martin) meet at a luxury resort and stir up murderous thoughts in a too cryptic thriller from German director Jan-Ole Gerster that recalls Hitchcock and Antonioni while revealing a tormented mind of its own. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comCarlos AguilarJan 30, 2026
While the on-the-nose title suggests each individual is an isolated entity...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. Read full review
70
Little White LiesEmily MaskellSep 9, 2025
Delightfully, Islands doesn’t patronise viewers. The film refuses to confirm or deny suspicions. It’s an exhilarating feast from co-writers Gerster, Blaž Kutin and Lawrie Doran who pen this winding tale with sharp subtlety. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineTaylor WilliamsJan 25, 2026
The film is most interesting when it's keyed to its main character's existential malaise across what plays out like a White Lotus B-plot. Read full review
60
Screen RantEmedo AshibezeJan 28, 2026
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. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawSep 9, 2025
It’s refreshing for a film-maker to opt for subtlety, and there are good performances from Riley, Martin and Farthing. Read full review
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