Sam Riley thriller Islands to be released by BFI Distribution in the UK and Ireland

Directed by Jan-Ole Gerster (Lara, A Coffee in Berlin), the tense thriller Islands stars Sam Riley (BAFTA-nominated for Control, Firebrand) as a tennis coach working at a hotel resort who becomes entangled with an enigmatic couple played by Stacy Martin (The Brutalist, Nymphomaniac) and Jack Farthing (Spencer, The Lost Daughter). The film premiered to great acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival and will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 12 September and on BFI Player from 27 October.

The film follows Tom (Sam Riley), a former professional tennis player who now works as a coach at an all-inclusive hotel in Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. What initially seemed like a dream of endless summers has long since turned into a monotonous routine. Tourists come and go in a constant stream, while Tom fills the emptiness with fleeting affairs and alcohol. When the mysterious Anne (Stacy Martin) arrives at the hotel with her husband Dave (Jack Farthing) and their young son, the family doesn’t fit the typical image of tourists. Tom soon grows close to them — but when Dave vanishes without a trace and Anne’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, Tom finds himself entangled in the mystery surrounding Dave’s disappearance.

Islands delves into disconnection and destructive behaviour in a striking, remote location, unfolding a slow-burning story of mystery and emotional tension, featuring a captivating performance by Sam Riley.