To me, this movie is perfection.

One of my all time favorites.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

There is no story development. It's about neurotic narcisistic people in a remote place on the planet earth. That alone would drive anyone crazy. This was a terrible contribution to the movie industry. Categorized as a Mystery, but, there is absolutely no Mystery at all. The story was cliche and predictable. Acting was incredibly terrible.

Le me start here: No one should review this film. Ignore the ratings. The best thing would be you sit down with the expectations you cultivated all your life, and take the trip. For my part, it was maybe 20 minutes after the closing credits I realized what had happened to me. And if you're lucky, you'll find out too.The superb craftsmanship is severely underrated. The acting, cinematography, music, art direction and wardrobe are exquisitely executed.The film's 'slowness' is not because of length, coming in at a lean 98 minutes with credits, but the story is about characters and their lives. Inevitably, that means there is a lot of talking. And for some, that might be 'slow'. But with such a fine cast, they find ways to take this quiet story to very interesting places. The complexity of the characters left us more than enough to discuss post-watching.The most interesting character is the director. Angad Aulakh will become required viewing for me. I wouldn't have guessed he was so young.

To begin, I was surprised by 'Autumn Light's Rotten Tomatoes score. This movie is interesting, well-made and well-acted.To start, this is a tiny story. Did I say tiny? It's about unique, struggling individuals intersecting during a somewhat tragic time. I loved the interesting choices in direction, music and how understated the performances were, which ultimately was what kept my attention for a story with a very little arc. The writing could have been a little more colorful, however, the discipline in the overall execution makes that entirely irrelevant to me.The film starts out with a death, and while this was shot with a very cold, emotional distance, it's an event that catalyzes the entire film and brings the American drifter of David into this strange world in the film. Played by Guy Kent, David is withdrawn, pained, emotionally-winded, and wise. It's an outstanding performance of subtle touches that feels just as melancholy as the movie is. Now that David must stick around in Iceland after coming across a dead body on the beach, he meets the equally melancholy Marie (played by Marta Gastini) and Johan (played by Svein Olafur Gunnarsson). These two feel like a colder version of Adams Family. It's an interesting choice that made me uncomfortable just like David. David is invited to one of their dinner parties, and there's a lack of comfort he feels that I, too, felt. You felt like David and you related to him. The ability to do that as a filmmaker shows the director has chops. David is essentially us, the viewer.Now that David has met Johan and Marie, he begins to fall into the drama in their lives and he ultimately gets mixed up in their secrets and lies. It's a story that really revolves around these three characters, and more so around Marie and David. While character development is slow, the actors bring a richness to the screen that get you interested.The nudity was a strong choice, for lack of a better word. While that felt entirely unnecessary since it did nothing for the characters and the film other than show nudity, it didn't make me dislike the film by any means.The score felt a little too close to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, however, it was very well placed and it varied from beautiful chorals to dark synths. It felt very original though, unlike lush Hollywood scores.My bottom line, as a film, there's comfort to be found. These characters feel relatable, real, and they talk about life in a way we can all understand. There is truth about life, love, and how we relate to one another. I give it 8/10, but for its boldness, 9/10.

As a first review and as a fan of small, foreign films, I happened to stumble upon this title when it was being advertised as playing in Los Angeles & New York. But to my surprise, the title was available on VOD and after watching the intriguing trailer, I gave it a whirl with my husband. I was very moved by this movie. It was unexpected. And I unexpectedly am now writing a review.To start, the craftsmanship is superb. The music, the cinematography, the strong performances and the direction were not formulaic and expected. It's a film of bold choices and it felt very original. I applaud the director and writer of the film Angad Aulakh for creating something so different... Massive superhero fatigue in this household.Now the story... it's a small story. It's conversation-driven. It's not about A to B to C, it's about learning who these intricate characters are and it's a dance between them and how their interactions with one another reward (or the opposite) their lives. My husband and I were engrossed by the heart and soul of these characters. They were wise, astute, interesting people who carry immense pain with them. This is not some hot-button, socially-relevant film but why does every film need to be that nowadays? It was lovely to watch a movie about characters who feel very real and lived in and didn't have to be politically or socially charged.Now Iceland, if you've ever been like I have, you'll know the spectacular beauty. The cinematography just enhances it. But I love that it's not a travelogue film that uses Iceland as a tourist film would. It's just a setting. And it's cold and barren and is an interesting location to set these characters in.Ms. Gastini, who was beautiful in Borgia, is splendid as Marie. She's complex and highly-watchable. I was very moved by her character's storyline and emotional dilemmas, as she delves in with the film's David, played by the handsome young actor Guy Kent. He, too, is beautiful and touching in the role. There's subtly to his emotions, his melancholy, his lust, and he feels like a real man from a different generation. As they say in the film, "there's more to him than he lets on, and I find that attractive." Well, so do I. The character of David is interesting and unexpected and was filled by an actor who I enjoyed watching and entering into this world with.My husband and I discussed the film at length afterward. If you like films that provoke conversation, make you look at your own life and your choices, and inspires you by the artistry, this is a film for you. It's a wonderful movie. I highly, highly recommend this title.