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The Sun Never Sets

Play trailer Poster for The Sun Never Sets R Now Playing 1h 42m Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 68 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A woman's relationship with her boyfriend hits a rough patch just as her ex reappears in her life, leading to messy entanglements in the Alaskan wilderness.
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The Sun Never Sets

The Sun Never Sets

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Critics Consensus

The Sun Never Sets turns the familiar rhythms of a love triangle into a perceptive portrait of romantic indecision, buoyed by director Joe Swanberg's loose approach and Dakota Fanning's compelling performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker Sep 8, 2026
In most other films, these narrow constraints would be unequivocal failings. But in “The Sun Never Sets” they’re features, not bugs. The perspective sustained throughout isn’t that of any one character but that of Swanberg himself Go to Full Review
Katie Walsh Tribune News Service Sep 4, 2026
3.5/4
The film is signature Swanberg, but it’s also operating at another level of nuance and sophistication. Go to Full Review
Thelma Adams AARP Movies for Grownups Sep 4, 2026
4/5
Love is a many-splendored but complicated thing in this generous rom-dram from indie writer-director Joe Swanberg. Well-written, witty and touching, the movie manages to feel fresh despite the pile-on of romantic fiction tropes. Go to Full Review
Sarah Regan Exclaim! 3 hrs ago
7/10
[Dakota] Fanning anchors the film with a delicate, layered performance that never leans into melodrama. It's the kind of acting where every glance, hesitation and small shift in expression is charged with meaning and stifled tension. Go to Full Review
Aaron Neuwirth We Live Entertainment 8 hrs ago
6/10
The choices made to involve a variety of characters and scenarios that bounce back and forth between being funny and chaotic make for a movie that would become tiresome if the cast wasn’t so likable. Go to Full Review
Mark Jackson Epoch Times 5 days ago
3/5
Ultimately, if Swanberg had written characters and commensurately cast actors 15 years younger, the film would have felt a lot more natural and additionally tipped the entire venture over into romcom territory. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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jesse v Sep 4, 2026 Who knew that writing characters as completely grounded as a telephone pole makes a movie enjoyable? Though no particular reason was given why the husband pushed for his wife's self-exploration journey, and where the kids went after the beginning. Also all shots were consistently spatially placed and well edited. This movie spells out a lot of nuance that your average american woman bookreader obsessed with tiktok would scream frantically. I wished there was more communication through phones and more scenes to show how time progressed. There is a thin power dynamic blackmailing theme borrowed from obsession. One of very FEW movies recently to use no CGI whatsoever. I would have loved more of Lindsey since she's technically the third party here. And of course, the main relationship is never dissolved. oh well, humans are fickle. Many alaskan references here, where some could have been taken out, like the boat. See more Ana W @anamwalsh 9 hrs ago I really think it’s an enjoyable movie with great character development but really similar thinking of his earlier movie - Drinking Buddies - it’s nice to see some directors do have a style . I found this modern and show clearly how some people can be sooo confused/coward or pretentious! Dakota and the other did such a good job! I don’t like the movie name choice- it’s understandable but not attractive! See more Iqbal F @IFcomic 2 days ago I thoroughly enjoyed this indie comedic drama. Aside from the sound being way too loud at my cinema, this was wonderfully realistic with some great comedy and acting. I've never enjoyed Dakota Fanning -- especially as a child in Hollywood films -- but also just found her okay as an adult; she's fantastic here and excellently subtle. The rest of the cast is great, too. It's a shame it's not doing well over here, but I'm glad I got a chance to see it and pay for it. See more Robert S @Ohahhoh 3 days ago I enjoyed this movie. In fact, I loved this movie after about 20 minutes into it.. It was very realistic about what goes on with some relationships. Great dialogue and some witty conversations. This movie isn’t getting much attention. Believe it or not. I was a sole person in the theater. I told my wife about it and we plan to see it together. (So I’ll be seeing it a second time). I urge you to give this movie a shot. See more tim L @RT55419099 Sep 11, 2026 The characters' dialogue was so realistic I almost felt as if I were invading their privacy as I listened. And yet, the plot was so gripping and the characters so passionate that I hung on every word. I expected to be disappointed if not bored when I hear d the plot outline, but enjoyed this movie so much I hated to see it end. See more Janelle L @eloracoffee Sep 10, 2026 Beautifully shot, but very slow. I appreciated what it was trying to do, yet I never became as emotionally invested as I wanted to. Definitely more of a mood than a story. See more Read all reviews
The Sun Never Sets

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The Sun Never Sets

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Movie Info

Synopsis A woman's relationship with her boyfriend hits a rough patch just as her ex reappears in her life, leading to messy entanglements in the Alaskan wilderness.
Director
Joe Swanberg
Producer
Jake Johnson, Ashleigh Snead, Joe Swanberg, Dakota Fanning, Cory Michael Smith
Screenwriter
Joe Swanberg
Distributor
Independent Film Company
Production Co
The Alaska Project
Rating
R (Language|Some Sexual References)
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 28, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$256.1K
Runtime
1h 42m
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