Satisfaction
2025·Drama·1h 37m
7.1
★
Set against the stunning Greek isles, Satisfaction is a nuanced psychological drama that unravels the fragile bond between British composers Lola and Philip. Their relationship lingers in silence as Lola struggles to reclaim her voice. Weaving between their present-day trip to a remote Greek island and the start of their romance at a London music school, the film slowly reveals an unspoken rift. When Lola meets the magnetic Elena on a nudist beach and invites her into their world, tensions escalate, forcing Lola to confront the darkest part of her past.
Directed by Alex Burunova
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Cast
Emma Laird
Lola
Fionn Whitehead
Philip
Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Elena
Adwoa Aboah
Angela
Magaajyia Silberfeld
Ben
Michelle Ellyse
Nell
Nell Williams
Crew
Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Executive Producer
Kyle Stroud
Producer
António Porém Pires
Dialogue Editor
Popular Reviews
3 reviews
ryanPRO
Interview with director Alex Burunova:
https://clydeinsider.com/2026/03/18/director-interview-alex-burunovas-satisfaction-makes-a-splash-at-glasgow-film-festival-2026/
Excerpt:
Satisfaction, led by breakout star Emma Laird, had its UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival March 7th and 8th. It may not be an easy film to stomach, but it’s an important one.
Burunova’s stylish debut follows British composer Lola and her partner Philip (Fionn Whitehead, Dunkirk). When the two take a trip to the lonely Greek Isles, tensions boil, and their tumultuous relationship is put to the test. Laird’s Lola flickers in and out of herself, wild and esoteric, then scrubbed-out and vacant; empty and pale, with eyes like sheets of thin ice. Philip’s at once sweet and unassuming demeanour betrays, ultimately, a more sinister persuasion. The relationship is unsettling, yet ambiguous. The slow, creeping runtime edges the question: why?
Dipped in clear blues, sprayed in salt and something darker, Satisfaction ebbs and flows, poised in its self-mythology.
Drawing on her own “life-altering event” and experiences with sexual abuse, Alex Burunova wrote the film over the span of eight years. The psychological drama splits past and present timelines, reflecting the emotionally difficult time it took to stitch the script together. Trauma’s non-linearity is crucial to its temporal geometry. The fractures in their relationship are, at a turning point, revealed to be the result of a traumatic sexual assault. The camera lingers on the couple for a lengthy time. It is abrupt and potentially very upsetting to many viewers, but the lens does not shy away from the subject matter. It startles. This startling quality, Satisfaction upholds, is the core. The audience is shaken into reality. Philip is, by all accounts, one of the good ones. Until he’s not.
https://clydeinsider.com/2026/03/18/director-interview-alex-burunovas-satisfaction-makes-a-splash-at-glasgow-film-festival-2026/
Excerpt:
Satisfaction, led by breakout star Emma Laird, had its UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival March 7th and 8th. It may not be an easy film to stomach, but it’s an important one.
Burunova’s stylish debut follows British composer Lola and her partner Philip (Fionn Whitehead, Dunkirk). When the two take a trip to the lonely Greek Isles, tensions boil, and their tumultuous relationship is put to the test. Laird’s Lola flickers in and out of herself, wild and esoteric, then scrubbed-out and vacant; empty and pale, with eyes like sheets of thin ice. Philip’s at once sweet and unassuming demeanour betrays, ultimately, a more sinister persuasion. The relationship is unsettling, yet ambiguous. The slow, creeping runtime edges the question: why?
Dipped in clear blues, sprayed in salt and something darker, Satisfaction ebbs and flows, poised in its self-mythology.
Drawing on her own “life-altering event” and experiences with sexual abuse, Alex Burunova wrote the film over the span of eight years. The psychological drama splits past and present timelines, reflecting the emotionally difficult time it took to stitch the script together. Trauma’s non-linearity is crucial to its temporal geometry. The fractures in their relationship are, at a turning point, revealed to be the result of a traumatic sexual assault. The camera lingers on the couple for a lengthy time. It is abrupt and potentially very upsetting to many viewers, but the lens does not shy away from the subject matter. It startles. This startling quality, Satisfaction upholds, is the core. The audience is shaken into reality. Philip is, by all accounts, one of the good ones. Until he’s not.
Interview with director Alex Burunova:
https://clydeinsider.com/2026/03/18/director-interview-alex-burunovas-satisfaction-makes-a-splash-at-glasgow-film-festival-2026/
Excerpt:
Satisfaction, led by breakout star Emma Laird, had its UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival March 7th and 8th. It may not be an easy film to stomach, but it’s an important one.
Burunova’s stylish debut follows British composer Lola and her partner Philip (Fionn Whitehead, Dunkirk). When the two take a trip to the lonely Greek Isles, tensions boil, and their tumultuous relationship is put to the test. Laird’s Lola flickers in and out of herself, wild and esoteric, then scrubbed-out and vacant; empty and pale, with eyes like sheets of thin ice. Philip’s at once sweet and unassuming demeanour betrays, ultimately, a more sinister persuasion. The relationship is unsettling, yet ambiguous. The slow, creeping runtime edges the question: why?
Dipped in clear blues, sprayed in salt and something darker, Satisfaction ebbs and flows, poised in its self-mythology.
Drawing on her own “life-altering event” and experiences with sexual abuse, Alex Burunova wrote the film over the span of eight years. The psychological drama splits past and present timelines, reflecting the emotionally difficult time it took to stitch the script together. Trauma’s non-linearity is crucial to its temporal geometry. The fractures in their relationship are, at a turning point, revealed to be the result of a traumatic sexual assault. The camera lingers on the couple for a lengthy time. It is abrupt and potentially very upsetting to many viewers, but the lens does not shy away from the subject matter. It startles. This startling quality, Satisfaction upholds, is the core. The audience is shaken into reality. Philip is, by all accounts, one of the good ones. Until he’s not.
https://clydeinsider.com/2026/03/18/director-interview-alex-burunovas-satisfaction-makes-a-splash-at-glasgow-film-festival-2026/
Excerpt:
Satisfaction, led by breakout star Emma Laird, had its UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival March 7th and 8th. It may not be an easy film to stomach, but it’s an important one.
Burunova’s stylish debut follows British composer Lola and her partner Philip (Fionn Whitehead, Dunkirk). When the two take a trip to the lonely Greek Isles, tensions boil, and their tumultuous relationship is put to the test. Laird’s Lola flickers in and out of herself, wild and esoteric, then scrubbed-out and vacant; empty and pale, with eyes like sheets of thin ice. Philip’s at once sweet and unassuming demeanour betrays, ultimately, a more sinister persuasion. The relationship is unsettling, yet ambiguous. The slow, creeping runtime edges the question: why?
Dipped in clear blues, sprayed in salt and something darker, Satisfaction ebbs and flows, poised in its self-mythology.
Drawing on her own “life-altering event” and experiences with sexual abuse, Alex Burunova wrote the film over the span of eight years. The psychological drama splits past and present timelines, reflecting the emotionally difficult time it took to stitch the script together. Trauma’s non-linearity is crucial to its temporal geometry. The fractures in their relationship are, at a turning point, revealed to be the result of a traumatic sexual assault. The camera lingers on the couple for a lengthy time. It is abrupt and potentially very upsetting to many viewers, but the lens does not shy away from the subject matter. It startles. This startling quality, Satisfaction upholds, is the core. The audience is shaken into reality. Philip is, by all accounts, one of the good ones. Until he’s not.
1
Kylie McHugh
10.0★ · 03/23/26
first film festival screening!!
was such a cool experience to watch the film and then hear the director talk about her work. a hard watch for sure. it was shot so beautifully and hearing her talk about her experiences and the making of the film made it even more emotional.
was such a cool experience to watch the film and then hear the director talk about her work. a hard watch for sure. it was shot so beautifully and hearing her talk about her experiences and the making of the film made it even more emotional.
first film festival screening!!
was such a cool experience to watch the film and then hear the director talk about her work. a hard watch for sure. it was shot so beautifully and hearing her talk about her experiences and the making of the film made it even more emotional.
was such a cool experience to watch the film and then hear the director talk about her work. a hard watch for sure. it was shot so beautifully and hearing her talk about her experiences and the making of the film made it even more emotional.
Erik Jaman
7.0★ · 07/31/25
Rawr XD
Rawr XD
Dylan Kaufmann
8.0★ · 03/11/25