The Creature from the Black Lagoon has some company.
“Monster Island” features a sea creature who bears a striking resemblance to that beast from ’50s era cinema. It’s mean, green and scaly, and you don’t want to meet it on a beach retreat.
Two WWII soldiers get up close and personal wth the beast in this intermittently engaging romp. The problem? The film isn’t sure what it wants to be from one scene to the next.
A text crawl explains how Japanese soldiers commandeered Allied prisoners in a less than humane fashion during the Second World War. One such prisoner, A Brit named Bronson (Callum Woodhouse), finds himself next to a Japanese soldier named Seito (Dean Fujioka).
Both have run afoul of the Empire, but before they can face their punishment their ship is attacked by Allied forces.
The soldiers jump overboard and wash up on a nearby island. They’re lucky to be alive, but they quickly realize they’re not alone. A creature appears on the horizon, and the duo must join forces to fend off its attacks.
Simple. Direct. Effective?
At times, yes. The film lets the leads bond as a survival tactic, each learning to trust the other in small measures. Different worlds. Different cultures.
What they have in common is clear. They both want off this island, and fast. And neither wants to end up as the creature’s next meal.
The monster attacks eventually take center stage, and it’s clear the FX team had a tight budget. Think vintage Madonna squeezed into a corset tight. Later, we get an extended glimpse of the creature and realize that ‘50s suit remains superior.
A general rule in monster movies applies here. The less we see of the beast, the better. It’s something Steven Spielberg accidentally learned when Bruce the Shark wouldn’t cooperate on 1975’s “Jaws.”
That lesson didn’t reach “Monster Island” director Mike Wiluan (“Buffalo Boys”).
Inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon, the World War II monster movie Orang Ikan has been titled MONSTER ISLAND for its US release. It’s premiering as a @Shudder Exclusive on July 25, 2025. pic.twitter.com/9tY67cq9VA
— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) June 18, 2025
“Monster Island” wears its genre trappings like a badge of honor … until it doesn’t. The film tries to be profound, especially during a mawkish epilogue, but its strength lies in leaning into B-movie realities.
Read the title, folks. This isn’t complicated.
The leads work well together, pushing past their anxieties about the “other” and their fading loyalties. It’s a shame they couldn’t spend more time on that part of the narrative. A slow burn would have made the eventual creature attacks pop.
The “B” expletive is used twice in the third act, and it strips away some of the gravitas marshalled along the way. Even B-movies have tried and true rules, don’t you know?
“Monster Island” offers a fresh scenario, a retro monster and the good sense to deliver action when it needs it most. The film’s split personality does it few favors, but it can’t drain the fun from this “Island.”
HiT or Miss: “Monster Island” boasts a B-movie name and thrills, but it sometimes aspires to something more profound. Bad choice.