Aarcflick

 “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...