# Essential Icelandic films

From Land and Sons and Children of Nature to Rams, Woman at War and Godland: a chronological tour of the Icelandic films High On Films calls essential, from the 1980 "Icelandic spring" to today.

- 430 votes · 24 items
- Feb 16, 2025 · Katie Hughes
- https://even.best/en/l/4837/essential-icelandic-films

## Top 24

1. **When the Raven Flies (1984)** (36 · ▲37 ▼1) — Hrafn Gunnlaugsson.
2. **Land and Sons (1980)** (28 · ▲31 ▼3) — Ágúst Guðmundsson.
3. **The Juniper Tree (1990)** (24 · ▲27 ▼3) — Nietzchka Keene.
4. **Children of Nature (1991)** (19 · ▲21 ▼2) — Friðrik Þór Friðriksson; Oscar nominee.
5. **Devil's Island (1996)** (19 · ▲21 ▼2) — Friðrik Þór Friðriksson.
6. **101 Reykjavík (2000)** (17 · ▲20 ▼3) — Baltasar Kormákur.
7. **Virgin Mountain (2015)** (16 · ▲18 ▼2) — Dagur Kári.
8. **Cold Fever (1995)** (16 · ▲17 ▼1) — Friðrik Þór Friðriksson.
9. **Jar City (2006)** (14 · ▲16 ▼2) — Baltasar Kormákur.
10. **Volcano (2011)** (14 · ▲16 ▼2) — Rúnar Rúnarsson.
11. **Woman at War (2018)** (14 · ▲14 ▼0) — Benedikt Erlingsson.
12. **Sparrows (2015)** (12 · ▲13 ▼1) — Rúnar Rúnarsson.
13. **Metalhead (2013)** (11 · ▲11 ▼0) — Ragnar Bragason.
14. **The Sea (2002)** (10 · ▲13 ▼3) — Baltasar Kormákur.
15. **The Deep (2012)** (10 · ▲13 ▼3) — Baltasar Kormákur.
16. **Rams (2015)** (10 · ▲11 ▼1) — Grímur Hákonarson.
17. **Angels of the Universe (2000)** (9 · ▲15 ▼6) — Friðrik Þór Friðriksson.
18. **Nói the Albino (2003)** (9 · ▲12 ▼3) — Dagur Kári.
19. **Heartstone (2016)** (8 · ▲8 ▼0) — Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson.
20. **Of Horses and Men (2013)** (7 · ▲11 ▼4) — Benedikt Erlingsson.
21. **Godland (2022)** (4 · ▲8 ▼4) — Hlynur Pálmason.
22. **A White, White Day (2019)** (4 · ▲6 ▼2) — Hlynur Pálmason.
23. **Last and First Men (2020)** (3 · ▲9 ▼6) — Jóhann Jóhannsson.
24. **Beautiful Beings (2022)** (0 · ▲4 ▼4) — Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.