The Love That Remains

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The Love That Remains

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1h 49m

Drama

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94%

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51 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Anna, an artist, and Magnús, a fisherman, live with their three children and charismatic sheepdog in the quiet grandeur of the Icelandic countryside. As the fractures in their marriage come to the surface, the couple try to hold onto the afterimages of a life together and make sense of a deep and lingering devotion. Filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason (Godland) brings surprising humor and emotional weight to this gorgeous, intimate, and brilliantly expansive scenes from a marriage, amidst the majestic backdrop of the changing seasons.

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Critics Consensus

The Love That Remains gently drifts through a melancholic yet quietly humorous portrait of love and separation with its exquisite Icelandic imagery and tender performances buoying a deliberately mild, fragmentary narrative.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

5d

3/5

This is a film of rolling vignettes, beautifully shot on 35mm film, that are often zany and surreal but slowly coalesce to form a portrait of a family at the mercy of, oh yes, the unforgiving elements.

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Philip De Semlyen

Time Out

Mar 13

4/5

The symbolism is lightly worn here in a gently observational film that’s underpinned with humanism and compassion. Here, the healing happens when you’re busy worrying about the dishes.

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Adam Nayman

Sight & Sound

Mar 13

Its frightening, hilarious final image suggests a state of anxious suspension commensurate with Pálmason’s own marvellous directorial balancing act.

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Helen Hawkins

The Arts Desk

Mar 12

4/5

t’s a living album of impressions and memories, small incidents and fragmented snapshots, with no conventional narrative shape. Yet there’s a coherence and weight lent to all these disparate elements by the teasing affection of the director’s lens.

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Hilary A White

Irish Independent

Mar 12

4/5

Godland writer-director Hlynur Palmason is never afraid to momentarily turn his screenplay into an art installation, meaning that while absurdist and filled with novel characterisation, he doesn’t half shy away from self-indulgence.

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Neil M

@totalgash 4d

Tricked into watching by a quirky trailer, unfortunately this film is an excruciatingly dull watch. It's running time is under two hours but feels like four as it moves at the pace of a melting glacier and about as entertaining as watching one. Luckily there's lingering shots of fishing nets, wooden poles and welding for those desperate to find some symbolism and meaning. You could watch this for beautiful shots of Iceland or you could alternatively look at some panoramic photos of the country on the internet. It features clips from The Creature From The Black Lagoon and a David Attenborough documentary, both of which you'll wish you were watching instead. There's some chickens; one of which I assume was recorded walking across a piano keyboard which constitutes the score. There's also a dog which won the 2025 Palm Dog Award but it could not attend the ceremony itself so look-alike dog stepped in. Not even the dog wanted anything further to do with this film...

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Tina B

@TinaB10 4d

This was one of the worst , most boring films i have ever seen in my entire cinema going history. How the critics gave it such good reviews is a mystery. No story, just boring, repetitive scenes, mind numbingly dull, like a bad student film but longer. By the final 40 minutes you are praying for it to end.

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Bruce M

@BruceMc Mar 12

Absolutely brilliant tragic/comic examination of the end of a marriage and how it affects the family. Acting, direction, cinematography and score are all award-worthy. Has a documentary feel with the naturalistic dialog, but with some fantasy/dream sequences. Very deliberately paced. A devastating final scene. A stunner, best movie I've seen in years.

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Dan W

@RT53126298 Mar 12

Don't let some of those glowing critics' reviews trick you into seeing this film. While it does have some gorgeous cinematography, there is nothing else of interest in the film. It creeps along at a snail's pace. The entire family that is the center of the film is boring. It's one of the most pretentious art house films I've ever seen. It screams, in the worst ways possible, "art house film". Next to Wuthering Heights, this is the worse film I've seen this year thus far.

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Hlynur Pálmason

Director

Saga Garðarsdóttir

Actor

Sverrir Gudnason

Actor

Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir

Actor

Þorgils Hlynsson

Actor

Grímur Hlynsson

Actor

The Love That Remains: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Anna, an artist, and Magnús, a fisherman, live with their three children and charismatic sheepdog in the quiet grandeur of the Icelandic countryside. As the fractures in their marriage come to the surface, the couple try to hold onto the afterimages of a life together and make sense of a deep and lingering devotion. Filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason (Godland) brings surprising humor and emotional weight to this gorgeous, intimate, and brilliantly expansive scenes from a marriage, amidst the majestic backdrop of the changing seasons.

Director: Hlynur Pálmason
Producer: Katrin Pors, Anton Máni Svansson
Screenwriter: Hlynur Pálmason
Distributor: Janus Films
Production Co: Still Vivid, Snowglobe Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Icelandic
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 30, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $135.0K
Runtime: 1h 49m