Sukkwan Island

Father-son bonding amid the majesty of nature takes a dark turn in this visually exhilarating adaptation of a novella by David Vann. Unhappily separated from his wife, Tom (Swann Arlaud, Anatomy of a Fall) hopes for more time with their teenage son Roy (Woody Norman, C’mon C’mon). His ambitious idea is to spend an extended period of time in a cabin on a remote island in Alaska where they will brave the elements, hunt, fish, and hopefully build a stronger relationship. Things get complicated when Tom starts displaying manic tendencies and Roy, in addition to concerns over his dad’s unpredictable behavior, starts missing his mom and his friends. In addition to rich performances from Arlaud and Norman, and the beauty of Amine Berrada’s images (with Norway standing in for Alaska), writer/director Vladimir de Fontenay explores profound issues of imagination with a framing device involving an older Roy visiting this island that looms so large in his memory. —Rod Armstrong