A White, White Day
A White, White Day

Movie spotlight

A White, White Day

2019
Movie
109 min
Icelandic

In a remote Icelandic town, an off duty police chief begins to suspect a local man to have had an affair with his wife, who has recently died in a car accident. Gradually his obsession for finding out the truth accumulates and inevitably begins to endanger himself and his loved ones. A story of grief, revenge and unconditional love.

Insights

IMDb7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes96%
Metacritic82/100
Google Users89%
Director: Hlynur PálmasonGenres: Drama

Plot Summary

A former police chief, Ingimundur, struggles to cope with the grief and paranoia following the sudden death of his wife. Living alone in a remote Icelandic town, he begins to suspect his neighbor of having an affair with her, leading him down a path of obsession and destructive behavior. As his mental state deteriorates, he grapples with his anger and the complex emotions of loss and betrayal.

Critical Reception

A White, White Day was met with critical acclaim, lauded for its powerful performances, atmospheric direction, and unflinching portrayal of grief. Critics praised its slow-burn tension and the raw emotional honesty of its lead actor. The film was recognized for its artistic merit and its sensitive exploration of complex human emotions.

What Reviewers Say

  • A deeply affecting and visually striking exploration of grief and obsession.

  • Ingvar Sigurdsson delivers a masterful, haunting performance.

  • The film's stark Icelandic setting adds to its powerful, melancholic mood.

Google audience: Audiences praised the film's emotional depth and compelling narrative, with many highlighting the strong lead performance and the evocative atmosphere. Some viewers found the pacing to be deliberate, but generally, the film resonated for its authentic depiction of loss.

Awards & Accolades

Won Best Film at the Reykjavik International Film Festival, and Ingvar Sigurdsson received Best Actor awards from several festivals including the Transilvania International Film Festival.

Fun Fact

Director Hlynur Pálmason originally intended for the film to be a silent movie, but ultimately decided to incorporate dialogue to enhance the emotional complexity.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

3 reviews
badelf

badelf

This is what happens when Icelandic movie maker, familiar with Kurasawa, has channeled Shakespeare in his dreams - an unbearably long art-house film. Salka (Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir) was great in this.

Peter McGinn

Peter McGinn

It seems to me that A White, Whirte Day was trying to be an artsy Indie type film and, if I am right, I think they aimed too low. The way the camera sometimes lingers on a still life scene, the times when it feels like they are using symbol...

SWITCH.

SWITCH.

Short on plot but long on atmospherics, Pálmason's film reveals itself as a deeply considered and profound statement about the slippery nature of masculinity, loneliness, anger and the human capacity for love. - Jake Watt Read Jake's fu...