In its blend of high-art style and pulp crime story, Islands is a nifty piece of what we might call Existential Pop.

The character construction and how their respective desires intersect with one another, in tandem with an effectively dizzying atmosphere, render it more original than expected.

A sexy tennis bum (Sam Riley) and a married woman (Stacy Martin) meet at a resort and stir up murderous thoughts in a too cryptic thriller fthat recalls Hitchcock and Antonioni while revealing a tormented mind of its own.

Beautifully shot and well acted by the central trio, Islands is a film of moods and feelings, rather than a propulsive narrative. But it certainly intrigues enough to draw you in and leave you thinking, long after the credits roll.