A White, White Day

Name: A White, White Day
Genre: Drama
Released: April 17, 2020
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 81
Cast: Arnmundur Ernst Björnsson, Björn Ingi Hilmarsson, Elma Stefania Agustsdottir, Haraldur Stefansson, Hilmir Snær Guðnason

2020

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 15 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	Your Score
6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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A White, White Day

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Movie Details & Credits

Film Movement | Release Date (Streaming): April 17, 2020 | Not Rated

Starring: Arnmundur Ernst Björnsson, Björn Ingi Hilmarsson, Elma Stefania Agustsdottir, Haraldur Stefansson, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Laufey Elíasdóttir, Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir, Sigurður Sigurjónsson

Summary: In a remote Icelandic town, an off-duty police chief (Ingvar Sigurdsson) begins to suspect a local man of having had an affair with his late wife, who died in a tragic accident two years earlier. Gradually his obsession for finding out the truth takes over his life and inevitably begins to endanger himself and his loved ones. [Film Movement]

Director: Hlynur Palmason

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 109 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Trevor Johnston

Feb 14, 2022

What’s remarkable about Hlynur Pálmason’s drama is the way its elemental settings lend everything an oneiric quality. Yet the scenes play out with a very real, visceral intensity, especially once Ingimundur uncovers an uncomfortable secret about his marriage and seeks an outlet for his anger. Read full review

Mike D'Angelo

Feb 25, 2020

The film’s true power is elemental, rooted in weather conditions that all but erase the distinction between land and sky, and in the inky darkness of a tunnel traversed by one haggard, trudging figure whose weary body intermittently blocks a sliver of light barely visible at its far end. Read full review

Glenn Kenny

Apr 16, 2020

The result is an emotionally wringing film, equally effective in the narrative and tone-poem departments. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

Jan 24, 2020

Palmason boldly risks audience disenfranchisement by pushing his disturbing story to unexpected lengths dramatically and stylistically, thereby winning a creative wrestling match with a potentially intransigent narrative. Read full review

Christopher Machell

Jul 2, 2020

A White, White Day is Ingimundur’s film through and through, centred on Sigurdsson’s intensely gruff, brooding performance. But Hlynsdóttir’s Salka gives him a run for his money. Read full review

Justin Chang

Apr 16, 2020

To ascribe easy labels to A White, White Day — to call it a study of masculine rage or a portrait of a community perched at the edge of the world — is to risk bleeding it of its elemental poetry. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Apr 7, 2020

I didn’t fall for the surfeit of mood manipulation that opens A White, White Day. All that time-lapse stuff and its ilk is a nice contrast to the shock and action that takes over the third act. They’re just a very dull way of managing that. Read full review

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User Reviews

RidingHood

Dec 12, 2020

Starts off slow, and then after a rock falls into the sea there is a rapid buildup in events, as the main character has a dramatic meltdown. Every scene a painting. A directorial tour de force, loved it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Brent_Marchant

May 21, 2020

A gorgeously filmed, well-acted tale of loss, romance and revenge that presents its story in novel ways, with ample symbolic references that cleverly reinforce the thrust of the narrative. Director Hylnur Palmason, handily a rising star, inventively tells his tale in intriguing ways, such asA gorgeously filmed, well-acted tale of loss, romance and revenge that presents its story in novel ways, with ample symbolic references that cleverly reinforce the thrust of the narrative. Director Hylnur Palmason, handily a rising star, inventively tells his tale in intriguing ways, such as effectively letting his cinematography do the talking in place of words, a technique from which other filmmakers could learn a lot. However, despite the picture's many strengths, it meanders somewhat in the middle, taking longer than it should to pin down what it's trying to say. A little tidying up, slightly quickened pacing and greater emphasis on its core underlying message would have worked wonders to make a good film an even better one.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

netflic

Aug 24, 2020

A very slow Icelandic drama about an aging cop trying to cope with his personal loss.
What I liked about the movie: cinematography, over-all directing, the style, but most of all, the performance of the cop's granddaughter Salka played by a very young rising star Ida Mekkin Hlinsdottir (doA very slow Icelandic drama about an aging cop trying to cope with his personal loss.
What I liked about the movie: cinematography, over-all directing, the style, but most of all, the performance of the cop's granddaughter Salka played by a very young rising star Ida Mekkin Hlinsdottir (do not even try to say it aloud :-) who happened to be the director's daughter.
That was her debut and quite an impressive one.
What I did not like: the music score.
All in all: I would recommend this movie for those who can tolerate long films.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JamesDefoe

Jul 28, 2020

It never gets as interesting or complex as you think it will get and sometimes it feels like the movie is seeking the 100min mark as if it was first conceived as a short and then turned into a feature film. It is a nice watch, though, as photography and performances are great and theIt never gets as interesting or complex as you think it will get and sometimes it feels like the movie is seeking the 100min mark as if it was first conceived as a short and then turned into a feature film. It is a nice watch, though, as photography and performances are great and the Icelandic setting gives you something different to look at.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mauro_Lanari

Dec 25, 2022

(Mauro Lanari)
A minimalism extremized up to the asphyxiating chilled rarefaction, interspersed with a handful of symbolisms between one dead time and another to tell of an adultery. When you have so little to say (revenge movie interruptus), you take refuge in style and aestheticization(Mauro Lanari)
A minimalism extremized up to the asphyxiating chilled rarefaction, interspersed with a handful of symbolisms between one dead time and another to tell of an adultery. When you have so little to say (revenge movie interruptus), you take refuge in style and aestheticization becomes everything.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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