Don’t look now, but Fantasy Island is just about a week away from opening its gates to the public. The Blumhouse horror/fantasy is a remake of the celebrated TV series of the same name from the 1970s, which centers on a mystical island retreat. Have you got your tickets in tow yet?
If not, perhaps you need to whet your appetite first. After all, there have been innumerable islands featured in movies since the dawn of cinema, so you may need a refresher. Don’t sweat, we got you covered. Here are 10 Creepy-Cool Movie Islands to get you ready for the new Blumhouse release!
King Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Filmed in Vietnam, Hawaii and Australia, the titular Skull Island in the newest King Kong flick features some of the coolest and most kickass action of recent memory!
What makes this island so cool is the diverse topography depicted amid the giant action set-pieces. We’re taken through the mountains, rivers, lakes, and fossil-ridden landscapes, all of which lend a particular beauty to balance the brutal fight scenes between Kong and his assailants.
The Beach (2000)
The secluded white sandy beach that Leo DiCaprio sneaks his way onto in the titular movie is as close to Eden as one can imagine. No wonder Leo makes regular trips back to Thailand where the movie was filmed!
The arresting beauty of the utopic island, filmed on the real Thai locale of Phi Phi Lei Island, resembles pure paradise on Earth. The iridescent blue water, the rolling sands, and unchaperoned freedom makes this one of the most ideal island destinations in the history of cinema.
Lord Of The Flies (1990)
What could be cooler than an island of children without a single adult to supervise? On the surface, absolutely nothing. In reality, almost everything!
In the classic tale of humanity gone awry, the island featured in Lord of the Flies begins as an unspoiled utopia. The children are able to live off the land, find enough food and shelter to subsist and do so with total autonomy. However, once the cruel side of man is revealed, a violent devolution of humanity’s worst traits come to light.
Cast Away (2000)
At first blush, the island that Tom Hanks swims up to in Cast Away is a pretty frightening place. But then again, the place all but saved Hanks’ life, which is pretty damn cool to think about.
In fact, without reaching this particular deserted island, there’s a good chance the lone survivor wouldn’t have met his new best friend, Wilson the volleyball. Beyond that, the island is loaded with ripe coconuts and a really cool cave to provide shelter during tropical storms.
The Island (2005)
Remade by Michael Bay in 2005, the 1980 version of The Island features one of the most bizarrely alluring movie islands of all time.
The reason why? When journalist Blair Maynard (Michael Caine) crashes into the remote island in the Bermuda Triangle, he becomes entangled in a nefarious plot involving an entire race of brainwashed captives. Blair fights his way through a throng of pirates and savages until forced to confront the island ringleader, John David Nau (David Warner).
Battle Royale (2000)
Despite the gorgeously exotic Japanese island found in Battle Royale, sightseeing is out of the question when the government conducts a deadly game of survival.
In the future, the Japanese rulers pluck a number of ninth graders from society and place them on a secluded island. The objective? Kill or be killed! Under the “Battle Royale” act, a brutally violent game takes place in which, in order to control the population, everyone must kill as many people as possible.
The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977, 1996)
While there have been two versions of The Island of Dr. Moreau, one made in 1977 and the other in 1996, both films are loose adaptations of the 1932 release of Island of Lost Souls.
And no matter the version, the island featured in each is as creepy-cool as they come. The plot revolves around a sadistic scientist hell-bent on conducting experiments in human evolution. He crossbreeds animal and human DNA to create a race of half-human, half-animal mutants over which he presides like a self-proclaimed god.
Shutter Island (2010)
It may not seem so cool to Edward Laeddis (DiCaprio), the de facto role-playing inmate at the island-bound mental institution, but the doctors of Shutter Island are up to some pretty freaky-cool shenanigans!
Directed with unparalleled skill by Martin Scorsese, the film turns the storm-blown island into a character of its own as Edward, pretending to be U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels, skulks around the rock looking for answers. Whether its the lighthouse, the operating room, the jail cells, or the cliffside caves, the island has all sorts of cool details.
Jaws (1975)
One doesn’t often think of Martha’s Vineyard as the kind of exotic islands we associate with movies set abroad, but the fact remains that Jaws features one of the coolest summer getaways that turns creepy in a quick hurry!
Shot on the island of the coast of Massachusetts, part of what makes the movie so intense is the inescapability of the locale. As the giant great white shark rips through unsuspecting vacationers, the remaining survivors have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
Jurassic Park (1993)
While we’re all aware of the eventual horrors that transpire on the island, the sheer notion of an isolated dinosaur sanctuary is way too cool to deny. Heck, even Jeff Goldblum thought the place was cool enough to rock a leather jacket!
Of course, what begins as an awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping treat of a lifetime - to witness the lifestyle of extinct prehistoric beasts - turns into a deadly nightmare of epic proportions. Still, nobody can front on how cool Isla Nubar is in the film. Its interior designs are second to none, controlled electronically, with unparalleled sights and sounds!
