Shadow Island is a 2023 Swedish mystery thriller about a young man searching for the truth about his late father’s mysterious work.
Written and directed by Johan Storm. Produced by Niklas Bergwall and Erik Ljung.
The movie stars Hanne Mathisen Haga, Magnus Roosmann, Max Lapitskij, Anderz Eide, Johan L. Heinste, Eva Mutvei, Joel Wallón, Kevin Kronow, Malin Carlsson Ståbi and Ida Laitila Raftewold.
Plot:
David (Johan L. Heinstedt), an aspiring meteorologist, follows his late father’s footsteps in the Swedish military. After stumbling upon what’s left of his father’s work, David sets off to an island in the Barents Sea – the one place which may hold the truth about his father’s passing.
Confronted by strange lights in the dark, eerie radio disturbances, and a hidden cave, David begins to question whether or not he’s really alone on the island. Suddenly, a female voice calls out over the otherwise silent radio – a stranger trying to reach David. Little does he know, his search for truth is about to descend into a much larger conspiracy…
Reviews:
” …it’s not very imaginative. Don’t expect too much when it comes to credibility. But it’s very atmospheric. The mystery thriller […] impressively demonstrates why the island setting is so rewarding. You just like to roam around here, together with the characters, listening to the water and the wind…” 7 out of 10, Film Rezensionen [translated from German]
“Haga and Heinstedt also give noteworthy performances that have the audience yearning for more time with them alone in place of the awkward introduction of Soviet goons we get. Trying to do too much in the span of ninety minutes is an insurmountable impediment to the success of Shadow Island. Still, even so, there’s a period of 30 minutes in the film that really gels together.” 6 out of 10, Film Threat
“A dose of Lovecraftian horror would be more believable and, above all, more amusing than Johan Storm’s confused combination of confused family drama and political thriller into an overconstructed mystery-march. Between test-tube figures and drawing board dialogues, one or the other nice idea pops up, but that seems more like a random stroke of luck.” 3.5 out of 10, Moviebreak [translated from German]
“Shadow Island arouses high expectations with its claustrophobic island scenario, but these cannot be met. Despite the short running time, the film drags on far too long and it takes forever until something exciting happens, which means that the finale falls far short and leaves more questions than before.” Riecks Filmkritiken [translated from German]
Release:
Shadow Island premiered at Fantasy FilmFest Night in Germany on April 22, 2023. It has since been released in Poland.
Trailer:
Cast and characters:
Hanne Mathisen Haga … Sarah
Magnus Roosmann … Gustav
Max Lapitskij … Oleg
Anderz Eide … Kjartan
Johan L. Heinstedt … David
Mikael Almqvist … Björn
Eva Mutvei … Maria
Teo Dellback … Ung Tolik
Joel Wallón … Tolik
Kevin Kronow … Jens
Malin Carlsson Ståbi … Josefine
Ida Laitila Raftewold … Sjuksköterska
Adam Kostyszyn … Billy
Amanda Bornhall … Olivia
