Sam Riley in the film thriller “Islands”

So this is the workplace that sun-hungry tourists envy Tom for: a sweltering tennis court in front of a less-than-inviting hotel complex, where Tom spends the whole day hitting balls over the net in a customer-friendly manner, complete with words of encouragement. From down there, he doesn't have a clear view of the Atlantic like the hotel guests have from their apartments.

Tom's so-called office is a junk room, crammed with dusty equipment. Tom (Sam Riley) has hidden the liquor bottle for a quick sip in an oblong ball can. One grab, and he can quench his worst thirst.

The man has apparently been hitting balls over the tennis net for quite some time – and has lost himself in the process: In the first scene of the film, he crawls disheveled out of the desert sand at the edge of a highway after a night of heavy drinking. He hadn't made it home the night before. As so often, he'll only just make it to his first tennis lesson the next morning.

A director has to think carefully before choosing such a sad wretch as a protagonist. Jan-Ole Gerster took a chance and won with "Islands." According to Gerster's own words, the starting point was a vacation on Fuerteventura. He had plenty of time to observe the hotel's tennis instructor. Together with screenwriters Blaž Kutin and Lawrie Doran, he conceived a story for him: Gerster aptly described his film as a "vacation noir." A relaxed holiday atmosphere and suspense combine to create an unusual blend.

Lead actor Sam Riley, speaking to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) about filming on Fuerteventura in a hotel during normal business hours, said: "We felt a bit like we were in the movie 'The Truman Show,' where everything is just a studio set. The pool was constantly full of older people in bathing suits. That wouldn't have been possible with extras. When I walked through the lobby with my tennis racket, hotel guests asked me if I had time to practice with them for an hour."

The story begins when Anne (Stacy Martin, recently also in "The Brutalist") shows up at Tom's junk room. She wants Tom to teach her seven-year-old son, Anton (Dylan Torrell). Tom is actually fully booked, but after a brief hesitation, he agrees.

From the very first moment, there's a spark, a spark between Anne and Tom. She will reveal herself as a femme fatale—let's say, a light version of one. This film plays with genres, leaving itself open to surprising retreats at any time.

The relationship between Anne and the arrogant Dave (Jack Farthing) is strained, as Tom soon realizes. He lets himself be enlisted as an island guide and shows the small family the majestic, barren coastal scenery of Fuerteventura. The island acts as a kind of main character. Anne soon lets Tom rub sunscreen on her bare back, or discreetly places her hand on his thin shirt.

And then one morning, Dave disappeared. The previous evening, Tom had gone with him to a nearby disco at Tom's request. What happened next that night, when the family man wanted to savor the freedom he envied Tom for?

Does Anne know more about Dave's whereabouts than she's letting on? Is Dave the victim of an accident? Or even a crime? Are there still secrets from the past lurking here that need to be uncovered? A detective from faraway Madrid flies in. He's probably watched a few too many crime movies, but he still knows how to draw razor-sharp conclusions.

There's a hint of "The Sun Was Witness" about "Islands," centering on the murderous Tom Ripley, played in 1960 by the sun-tanned Alain Delon. But only a hint. Director Gerster undermines the tension with almost outrageous composure. He's less concerned with the vacationing family than with Tom: What missed opportunities might lie dormant within this man? What could Tom have become if he hadn't gotten stuck in the life of a bored tennis instructor?

Lead actor Riley is nominated for the German Film Award for "Islands," which will be presented in Berlin on May 9. Curiously, he also appears on the shortlist for the biopic "Cranko," about ballet teacher John Cranko. Could the double nomination increase his chances?

Riley mused to RND: "Math isn't really my thing. A friend just calculated that I halve my chances by being nominated twice. I'm my own fiercest competitor."

“Islands,” directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, with Sam Riley, Stacy Martin, Jack Farthing, Dylan Torrell, 123 minutes, FSK 6