“Islands” is an unusual film. It’s a mystery in many ways, but also a character study, chronicling the days of a washed-up tennis player grappling with the monotony of his life while working as an instructor at a resort in the Canary Islands. A lot happens with the characters, but co-writer and director Jan-Ole Gerster isn’t interested in accelerating the film’s dramatic pace, instead maintaining a leisurely rhythm, allowing viewers to analyze the story and the characters’ reactions.
The film isn’t conventionally impactful, despite hinting at some Hitchcockian elements, but it manages to be an interesting work to explore, as Gerster uses its beautiful settings to immerse the audience in the central situation, and there are details present for those patient enough to look for them. “Islands” creeps into the viewer’s mind, and while there’s no grand dramatic escalation, there are dramatic textures to explore, which helps maintain interest in a rather slow-burn crisis.
Director: Jan-Ole Gerster
Writers: Jan-Ole Gerster, Blaz Kutin, Lawrie Doran
Stars: Sam Riley, Stacy MartinJack Farthing
Tom (Sam Riley) was once a promising professional tennis player, but now he’s simply surviving on the island of Fuerteventura. He works as a tennis instructor at a resort, catering to wealthy families during the day, and drinks excessively at night, often blacking out and waking up anywhere but his own bed. He’s bored and depressed, but a certain energy returns to his life when he’s approached by Anne (Stacy Martin), a mother who wants to hire the tennis pro to help her son, Anton (Dylan Torrell), improve his game.
Tom accepts the offer, drawn to Anne’s beauty and enigmatic personality, and soon meets her husband, Dave (Jack Farthing), who has an aggressive personality. When he agrees to accompany the family on a private excursion around the island, Tom learns a little more about the marital dynamics, while Dave expects the resort employee to join him at a club that night. The next day, Tom and Anne are confronted with the reality that Dave hasn’t returned to the resort, and they soon find themselves involved in the investigation to find him.
We meet Tom as he regains consciousness in the middle of a desert, stumbling back to his vehicle to drink water and reflect on the situation. This isn't the first time he's lost consciousness with no memory of the previous night. He does it often; this act of escapism is part of the psychological profile of the character in "Islands," an employee at a resort who barely has the energy to attend to guests. Tom lives in a kind of lethargy, drinking as much as he can and frequenting the local club, Waikiki, where he consumes drugs and has meaningless sexual encounters with tourists. Gerster presents a bleak existence for the character, who finally awakens from his apathy with the arrival of Anne, who insists that Tom tutor Anton, marking the first small disruption to the routine in "Islands."
Gerster handles several elements of confusion in "Islands," with Tom becoming obsessed with Anne and her situation, including her interactions with Dave. The couple is unhappy, which prompts Tom to follow them as much as possible, leading him to explore the area and spend time alone with both characters. Tom even introduces the family to some friendly locals, good friends of the resort employee who are about to leave the island, adding a layer of stark reality to the script, as Tom is left behind.
"Islands" centers on the disappearance of Dave; Tom wakes up from another drunken night and discovers that the man has vanished, triggering police involvement and prompting him to use his own detective skills, along with Anne, in search of clues. There are some tense moments of investigation and police pressure, but Gerster doesn't aim to create a thriller, keeping the film understated in its approach to the investigation.
"Islands" progresses cautiously, addressing Dave's absence by focusing on the characters experiencing it, exploring Anne's emotional detachment from the situation and Tom's strange position of leadership, as he also tries to support Anton during a difficult time. Suspense is never the main focus, but the interesting aspect of the screenplay is its emphasis on Tom's sense of responsibility.
He experiences an unexpected revelation amidst all the confusion, allowing the film to explore unusual aspects of consciousness as the story moves toward a resolution. "Islands" is for those willing to surrender to the experience, and although there's some unnecessary indulgence in the length and pacing, Gerster delivers an insightful reflection on the meaning of life, bestowed upon someone who previously lacked hope.
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