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The Whistlers poster

Film · 2019

The Whistlers

Original titleLa Gomera

Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu · starring Vlad Ivanov, Catrinel Marlon and Sabin Tambrea

  • 1 h 37 min
  • 15
  • Comedy · Crime
  • RomaniaFrance
  • Released in the UK 25 June 2020
  • 6.5 AverageMovieNCo
  • 4.9 Users2 votes
  • 8.0 Critics2 reviews

Synopsis

'The Whistlers' follows Cristi (Vlad Ivanov, 'Sunset', 'In Perfect Health'), a police officer who travels to Gomera, a rocky landscape in the Canary Islands, as part of his mission to expose a money laundering plot that extends across to Romania. When he arrives, however, Cristi finds himself caught between two sides: on the one hand, his co-workers and distrustful boss and on the other, the local businessman and small-time criminal Zsolt (Sabin Tambrea, 'Ludwig II', 'Berlin Station') and his femme fatale girlfriend Gilda (Catrinel Marlon, 'C.S.I.', 'The Ideal City'), who ask him to learn the local language, which is comprised entirely of whistles. As Cristi gets sucked into a plot surrounding a stolen 30 million euros, he begins to ask himself which side he is truly working for.

'The Whistlers' is the latest film by Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu ('The Treasure', 'When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism'). The film draws on influences from the film noir genre in its twisting plot. Also starring are Rodica Lazar ('Carmen', 'The Last Day'), Agustí Villaronga ('Atlas de geografía humana', 'Carta a Eva'), István Teglas ('Luca', 'Self-Portrait of a Dutiful Daughter'), Cristóbal Pinto ('Hierro', 'La Sala'), Antonio Buíl ('Station Horizon', 'Operation Libertad') and George Pistereanu ('If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle', 'Loverboy').

Where to watch The Whistlers

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Available now in the UK:

Availability checked on 8 November 2026.

The essentials

Runtime
97 min1 hour and 37 minutes
Rating
15Suitable only for 15 years and over
How long is The Whistlers?
1 hour and 37 minutes (97 minutes).
When was The Whistlers released in the UK?
It was released in the UK on 25 June 2020.
Who directed The Whistlers?
Corneliu Porumboiu.
Who is in The Whistlers?
It stars Vlad Ivanov, Catrinel Marlon, Sabin Tambrea and Antonio Buíl.
Where can I watch The Whistlers?
In the UK it is available with a channel on Prime Video and to rent on Apple TV.
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Videos and trailers

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Photos and posters

All 5 photos

Reviews

All 5 reviews
4.9 2 votes

What the critics say average 8.0 from 2 outlets

  • 8.0 The GuardianPeter Bradshaw "Porumboiu gives us a knotty, twisty, nifty plot that?s quite involved but hangs together well...An elegant and stylishly crafted piece of entertainment". Read
  • 8.0 IndiewireEric Kohn "Corneliu Porumboiu's enjoyable riff on the heist movie tradition has a unique hook, and is begging for an English language remake". Read
  • Roger EbertBrian Tallerico "'The Whistlers' is sometimes caught between Porumboiu?s dry comedic timing and a plot that I think I?m supposed to be able to follow more than I was (although I?m not sure about that), but it?s… Read

Soundtrack

All 17 songs
  1. The PassengerIggy Pop Spotify
  2. Mi FuturoDiomedes Díaz y, Nafer Durán
  3. Norma, Act 1: Casta DivaAnna Netrebko, Conducted, Marco Armiliato Spotify
  4. Les contes d'Hoffmann, Act 2: BarcarolleAnna Netrebko, Soprano, Elina Garanca, Prague Philharmonia Conducted, Emmanuel Villaume Spotify
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