The Film (3/5)

Kostis (Makis Papadimitriou) is the new Doctor on a resort island in Greece. While he is hired in the Winter, he is told of the waves of tourists that come in the summer. At first this doesn't matter to him. But when a group of 20-year olds come to his clinic he falls for the beautiful Anna (Elli Tringou). He finds himself invited to join them at the beach, and once he starts handing out with them something changes for him. He finds himself falling for Anna and embracing his vices. Mostly alcohol. But as he falls more in love, he will find out the bittersweet truth of their friendship.

SUNTAN (2016) is both at once a beautiful character study of a middle age man reconnecting with his sexuality and a haunting story of obsession. Director Papadimitropoulos (WASTED YOUTH, BANK BANG) balances this out mostly despite the last 30 minutes turning into a rape nightmare. On one end making real and natural performances from the actors and mixing in razor sharp pacing.

The central performance by Makis Papadimitriou is tragic and soul crushing. The character of Kostis becomes a sick character that you can't help but feel for even when he crosses the line. But by the end, I completely couldn't stand him. The rape content is what makes the movie lose its feeling and wrecked my enjoyment of it.

Other than the ending, SUNTAN shows the passion of summer and captures the vibe of the season. The nightclub scenes are a refreshing side of sexuality. But yet again once the story turns, it almost seems like a misfire.

So, no matter where you stand or if your triggered by the subject matter, SUNTAN is a well-made movie that gets too cringe worthy at the end.

Audio/Video (5/5)

SUNTAN comes with two main audio options. First up is the Greek 5.1 DTS-HD master audio. This track is clean and has no hiss or pops. The sound mix is dynamic and easy to hear. The second track is 2.0 LPCM and has some slight muffle sounds. English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD transfer is stunning. The blues and greens pop off the screen. The beach scenes are the best in the lot and every level of texture is full of depth.

Extras (2.5/5)

The main extra is an interview with director Papadimitropoulos. The interview covers the whole production but runs out of steam fast. Rounding out the disc is Behind the scenes footage and Deleted Scenes.

Overall (2.5/5)

SUNTAN is a polished drama. Sadly, the last half of the film turns to some unpleasant material. So, it's hard to really recommended. Worth a watch once, but the subject material gets really mean spirited and nasty. So, it's a toss-up.