Sam Riley plays a former tennis pro who spends his days in paradise on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura. When he\u2019s not giving monotonous lessons to guests at a luxury resort, he\u2019s usually passed out on a beach after a night of heavy drinking. Either way, the term \u2018washed-up\u2019 seems fitting. Life gets interesting when he crosses paths with a femme fatale and her husband, newly arrived tourists, in the neo-noir thriller from German director Jan-Ole Gerster. With themes of isolation and obsession, heightened by Dascha Dauenhauer\u2019s atmospheric score, expect Hitchcock vibes.<\/p>\n
When we first meet Tom (Riley), he\u2019s waking up on an isolated beach. Hungover, unsure of his surroundings, it\u2019s just business as usual for the raspy-voiced 45-year-old Brit who usually sports a backward baseball cap. Some mornings, Tom wakes up in a stranger\u2019s hotel room after a night of drunken sex with a tourist he picked up at the local nightclub. It\u2019s a life of endless drinking, partying, and casual hook-ups on Fuerteventura, the second largest of Spain\u2019s Canary Islands.<\/p>\n
By day, Tom gives tennis lessons to tourists at a resort hotel. It\u2019s a humdrum job, evident by the former tennis pro\u2019s lack of enthusiasm as he hits balls over the net. The islanders call Tom \u201cAces\u201d because he once beat Rafael Nadal while training at the height of his career.<\/p>\n
One day, a new batch of tourists arrives, including Anne (Stacy Martin), her husband, Dave (Jack Farthing), and their 8-year-old son, Anton (Dylan Torrell). Martin, a terrific actress who appeared in 2024\u2019s \u201cThe Brutalist\u201d and is currently in \u201cThe Testament of Ann Lee,\u201d gives off Femme Fatale vibes as she steps off the bus, exchanging glances with Tom, suggesting there may be some history between them.<\/p>\n
The next day, Anne approaches Tom about private lessons for Anton. He tells her his schedule is full, but she\u2019s determined: \u201cWe could pay extra,\u201d she says, adding that she\u2019s willing to pay double his rate. Tom hesitates, taken aback by her persistence, and replies, \u201cIt\u2019s not necessary. There\u2019s a slot tomorrow.\u201d Again, there\u2019s a weird tension between the two.<\/p>\n
Enter Anne\u2019s husband, Dave. Friendly but with a sense of superiority. Just another wealthy jerk. After Anton\u2019s tennis lesson, he asks to hit a few with Dave. He\u2019s also a cheat. Enough said.<\/p>\n
Tom\u2019s not bothered by Dave\u2019s attitude. He feels connected to Anne; maybe that\u2019s why he pulls a few strings to get them in a better room. Also, Tom and Anton get along well, and in a scene where Anne asks Tom to take a picture with her and her son, it hits you like a ton of bricks. They resemble a family, and Anton looks a bit like Tom. Did I mention that Anne runs her hand down Tom\u2019s back while Dave snaps the pic?<\/p>\n
Riley gave us an unforgettable performance in 2007 as Joy Division singer-songwriter Ian Curtis in the biographical film \u201cControl.\u201d After Curtis\u2019s death, the band went on to form New Order, whose song \u201cBizarre Love Triangle\u201d seems appropriate as \u201cIslands\u201d transitions into a neo-noir thriller complete with a mystery (Dave goes missing), a Police inspector (Ramiro Blas), a band of surfers, and an exotic location with an active volcano, and obsession leading to love or lust as redemption.<\/p>\n
The sun-frazzled thriller evokes Hitchcock with slow-burn tension, as in \u201cVertigo\u201d and \u201cRear Window,\u201d while Juan C. Sarmiento Grisales\u2019 dazzling cinematography turns the location into a character, and Dascha Dauenhauer\u2019s moody score finally plays an important role, evoking feelings of loneliness, mystery, and beauty. At times, paying tribute to the \u201cMaster of Suspense\u201d composer Bernard Herrmann.<\/p>\n
French actress Stacy Martin, who made her 2013 debut in Lars von Trier\u2019s \u201cNymphomaniac\u201d and is a frequent collaborator with Brady Corbett, appearing in his films, including 2024\u2019s \u201cThe Brutalist,\u201d personifies the femme fatale role. Alongside Sam Riley, take the modest thriller to the next level. Jan-Ole Gerster leaves the ending up to interpretation, which only adds to the shroud of intrigue.<\/p>\n
(3 stars)<\/p>\n
Now showing in theaters<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/2026\/02\/06\/islands-review-sam-riley-and-stacy-martin-are-terrific-in-the-slow-burn-thriller-with-hitchcock-vibes\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/fortworthreport.org”>Fort Worth Report<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<img src=”https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/cropped-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&quality=80&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><\/p>\n
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