The Love That Remains

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2:15

The Love That Remains

Jan 2026

1h 49m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

54 Reviews

Popcornmeter

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.

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)

Mar 17

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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Dustin Chang

Floating World

6d

The Love That Remains emphasizes that we live with nature and all our incongruities are part of the elements, not separate entities, nothing more. Pálmason humbles you in different ways in the presence of nature.

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Claire Di Maio

But Why Tho?

Apr 1

7/10

Hlynur Pálmason’s keen eye for observation makes him a genuinely compelling directorial voice in European cinema.

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James Mottram

Radio Times

Mar 31

3/5

It's a sometimes meandering but often charming meditation on emasculation and the stresses of divorce.

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Hadar T

@RT37803126 5d

What a waste of time so boring why did such thing get on screen with fake reviews 😒

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 29

The worldwide gross is $394,685.00.

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Jim E

@RT62503242 Mar 24

This is solid proof the critics are bought and paid for! Please don't waste your hard earned money!

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Neil M

@totalgash Mar 18

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 Mar 17

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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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

2:15

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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
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 14, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $135.0K
Runtime: 1h 49m

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