Sightlines · reception
How The Love That Remains was received
2025 · Hlynur Pálmason · The Love That Remains on Sightlines
The arc
It premiered at Cannes 2025 to near-unanimous warmth (a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score) and became Iceland's Oscar entry — Pálmason's third — only to miss the nomination, instantly filing it under 'the Academy got it wrong' for his fans.
What’s debated
The running gripe is placement, not quality: why was a filmmaker of Pálmason's stature parked in Cannes Premiere instead of the main Competition?
Its footprint
Its breakout star is Panda the Icelandic Sheepdog, who won the 2025 Palm Dog at Cannes — and since Panda couldn't attend, a local look-alike collected the collar on her behalf.
Where it stands
A canon climber that sealed Pálmason's status as a Letterboxd-beloved must-watch auteur after A White, White Day and Godland.
Did you know? The family portrait is unusually literal: the three children on screen are Pálmason's own kids, and Panda the dog is his real family pet — he even had Ari Aster interview him for the film's Oscar campaign.