‘Sukkwan Island’ Divides Critics with Its Adaptation of David Vann’s Gripping Novella

The Sundance-premiered film explores a father-son relationship in the Nordic wilderness but struggles to match the emotional depth of its source material.

• Directed by Vladimir de Fontenay, 'Sukkwan Island' is an adaptation of a novella from David Vann’s acclaimed 2008 book 'Legend of a Suicide.'
• The film relocates the story from Alaska to the Norwegian fjords and updates the timeline to the 21st century, altering some key dynamics of the original work.
• Critics praised the performances of Swann Arlaud and Woody Norman, noting their nuanced portrayals of a troubled father and his wary son.
• The film’s immersive cinematography by Amine Berrada captures the stark beauty and isolation of the Nordic wilderness, though some reviewers felt it lacked the claustrophobic tension of the book.
• While the adaptation retains a major plot twist from the novella, its execution was criticized as feeling manipulative and less impactful compared to the original text.

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