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Far Out Magazine, 2025
The world we live in can often feel cold and absent of care, a feeling that is exacerbated by the bubbles of thought that divide us and distance us from the heart of what it means to be human. It’s easy to become burdened by the weight of the world’s problems and disconnect from the simple things that affirm our reason for being here – the way the sky looks at certain moments of night, a mushroom pulled from the dirt, inside jokes with the people who know you best.
This quality of warmth is not typically one that has been present in Hlynur Pálmason’s work, with the Icelandic director often infusing a deliberate and sometimes harsh look to his earlier films. Whether it be the detached and photographic style of Godland to his devastating exploration of grief and repressed anger in A White, White Day, Pálmason’s stories have not typically been ones that reaffirm your faith in humanity, with his 2019 film perhaps being the most optimistic from his filmography, with the main character eventually hitting rock bottom and freeing himself of his pains.
However, this all changed after the premiere of his latest film, The Love That Remains, with the director creating an unexpectedly playful and romantic film that leaves your heart full to the brim as he captures the adventure, wonder and magic of everyday moments and the intimacy we share with our families.
The Love That Remains follows a family over one year as they navigate a new equilibrium in the aftermath of their parents divorce. Despite the uncertainty of the central relationship, a sense of complete calm and contentment washed over me throughout the duration of the film, with Pálmason demonstrating complete mastery over the medium as each element beautifully merges together to create a delicate symphony that celebrates life in its entirety.
While his other films are fairly deliberate and detached in their tone, The Love That Remains is incredibly playful, with a sense of magical realism and whimsical undertones as he captures the ups and downs of family life. An average day can be turned into a disaster, an argument can become a reconciliation, and an everyday ritual can become a point of connection.
Everything about the film is tender and curious, with Pálmason flitting between images, memories and conversations to create something that feels so incredibly lived in and authentic, building a tapestry of moments that slowly wash over you and bring you into the folds of this family. The image of their son being shot in the chest with an arrow somehow doesn’t feel worrying, while the sight of the husband peering up the skirt of his ex-wife will feel almost touching.
Pálmason splices in images and footage of the world around them, interrupting the languidness of everyday life through the staggering natural beauty of Iceland and the fruits of their land. A hand breaks open a mushroom covered in dirt. We see the splatters of berries around their kitchen after blending them together, purple stains on their hands. An arm outstretched in the garden, trying to chase a stray chicken (or rooster?).
Amongst the moments of realism, Pálmason inserts dream-like sequencesand moments of surrealism that feel noticeably different to his earlier work, embracing the whimsical to capture the unknown potential of everyday life. It perfectly punctuates and adds variety to the film’s internal rhythm, disturbing the routines of the characters and encouraging us to see beyond what is obvious.
As well as this, it captures the wounds beneath the surface as this family struggle with a new normal, seeking comfort through art and storytelling as they try to stay together while being partly broken apart. While this could veer into the predictable, it doesn’t do so, with no cliche arguments or dynamics that we associate with stories about divorce. Instead, it shows each family member navigating this with gentleness and humour, staying close to one another and trying not to let their old life disappear.
The Love That Remains is a tender and romantic story that will make you fall in love with life and your family all over again, reconnecting us with the true purpose of life and just how special it is to spend time with the people you love.