“You will come to realize who your real enemies are.”

Story: Saito is a traitor to his comrades in WWII Japan. So he’s put on a Hell Ship, to be executed as an example. Til they arrive though, he’s shackled to UK POW Bronson, to teach them both a lesson. But when the ship is sunk, these two find themselves on a deserted island. Yay, they’re safe! Wait, what’s that clicking noise?

Scares: A few jump scares.
Splat Factor:  Dead bodies, some bloody attacks by both humans and creatures.

Subgenre: Historical Creature Features
Year Released: 2025
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Based on The Creature From the Black Lagoon and Malaysian folklore.

Trick or Treat?: I love a horror movie that teaches me something along the way. I didn’t know about the horrible Japanese Hell Ships that transported POWs , nor had I heard about the Malaysian Orange Ikan soldiers swear they saw on otherwise deserted islands. These two tidbits make for a fascinating story.

But Island doesn’t do much with them besides scene setting. This is a 21st century B-movie, complete with man-in-suit, scenes that look shot on a lot even with the real life island location, and neon red blood. Only the higher quality digital film – and final Bughuul jump scare – reminds you of it’s modern day roots.

The creature definitely harks back to Lagoon, as does the tropical island setting. But there are Enemy Mine and Predator vibes too, as Saito and Bronson come together to face the monster. Dean Fujioka and Callum Woodhouse carry the vast majority of the film, and their performances are up to the task. Saito’s subtitled Japanese and Bronson’s English make conversations difficult, and their first moments on the island are a slug-fest of mutual fear and mistrust. But a believable bond forms, thanks to the connection these two actors create.

Writer/director Mike Wiluan tries to create tension and emotional weight with his pacing of this film, but at times it simply drifts along. We get a lot of time with each character individually, as they explore the island, try to fend off the creature, and attempt to find their way back to each other. Again, it’s the performances that keep things from becoming a slog-fest.

Like the 50s and 60s monster movies that preceded it, Island is a great brain-off movie. The pacing is slow, so you won’t miss much if you’re only half into it. So fold laundry, do your nails, or recover from that overindulgence; this movie asks little of you. Just tuning in is enough. It’s a loving tribute to 20th century monster films, with a creature that’s just the right balance of silly and cool.

Plus, you get a touch of WWII history. Look, we’re smarter already. Go us.

Score: 2.5 out of 5 pumpkins.