Islands 2026

On the island of Fuerteventura, Sam Riley plays Tom, a former tennis pro who now works as an instructor at a hotel resort. His days unfold in a predictable rhythm of backhand drills for sunlit tourists, while his nights slip into a haze of alcohol, drugs, and casual, unnamed encounters. The routine is upended when Stacy Martin as Anne arrives, asking for private lessons for her young son, Dylan Torrell (Anton). The request opens a doorway to a more intimate conversation about their lives, and Tom soon finds himself drawn into the family’s orbit.

When Tom helps Anne secure a better room for the family, they invite him to dinner as a token of thanks. Over the meal, the couple reveals more about their struggles: Anne had given up her career as a television actress, while Dave, Anne’s husband, had failed at running her father’s company. The mood tightens with unspoken tensions about marriage timing and the challenge of having another child. At Anne’s suggestion, Tom becomes their guide to the island, taking them on a tour that includes lava caves and windswept beaches; Anne’s frustration with Dave grows clearer, and a pull toward Tom seems to take shape beneath the surface.

The group later meets Tom’s friends at a camel farm—Raik speaks with gusto while Fatima Adoum embodies Amina, the other member of their circle—where Raik recounts a boastful story about Tom besting a visiting Rafael Nadal. The juxtaposition of Tom’s unanchored life with Anne and Dave’s squeezed, high-stakes marriage deepens the undercurrents of jealousy and longing. That night, Tom goes for drinks with Anne and Dave at the hotel. Tensions spill over into their conversation about trust and parenthood, and Dave’s impatience pushes the evening toward a precipice. The next morning, Tom awakens on the beach to the troubling news that Dave is missing.

Tom and Anne retrace their steps to the club, and she unexpectedly comes across Dave’s abandoned phone. They report the disappearance to the local police, where Pep Ambròs plays the hard-nosed police officer Jorge, who suspects infidelity and hidden motives even before the full picture emerges. A band of surfers fills in gaps about Dave’s erratic mood and the cruel things he may have said about his wife. In a moment of heat and fear, Anne suggests that Dave may have killed himself. A roaming local is found with Dave’s wallet and shoes, and Dave’s clothes are found discarded on the shore, amplifying the mystery.

Inspector Ramiro Blas Mazo travels from Lanzarote to head the investigation, revealing that Anne had deleted a record of a phone call from Dave before his disappearance. Anne finally confesses that Dave had been diagnosed with infertility and suspected that he might not be the father of Anton; he had called that night, threatening to jump from a cliff unless she told him the truth. Security footage showing Anne leaving the hotel after the call casts a long shadow, and Anne storms off, leaving Tom to look after Anton for the day as her absence continues into the evening.

As the search for Dave winds across the island, Jorge hints that Mazo believes foul play is involved. Tom grows increasingly unsettled by Anne’s casual bravado—her martinis, topless swims, and relentless shopping—while the investigation tightens its grip. When Mazo claims to have an incriminating witness, Tom refrains from confirming Anne’s whereabouts, and the story threatens to fracture under the pressure of suspicion and desire. The two share a night of mutual attraction, a fragile moment that lingers above the truth they both fear.

The following day brings a startling turn: Dave is found alive, naked and delirious after attempting to reach a nearby volcano. He is reunited with his family in the hospital, and Tom wrestles with a mix of relief and lingering unease. Jorge gently tries to close the case, but the emotional weather remains volatile. Back at The Waikīkī, Tom is coaxed into a friendly game of serves against a tourist and wins the match before collapsing from exhaustion. Dave returns the gesture with a generous tip and a word of thanks, and Anne departs with her family without bidding Tom farewell. Watching them go, Tom heads to the airport in a quiet moment of impulse, unsure of where to go next, and the film lingers on his face as he debates what, if anything, beyond this island, might be calling him.