A Nostalgic Monster Tale With Modern Texture

MOVIE REVIEW
Monster Island (Orang Ikan)
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Genre: Horror
Year Released: 2024, 2025
Runtime: 1h 23m
Director(s): Mike Wiluan
Writer(s): Mike Wiluan
Cast: Dean Fujioka, Callum Woodhouse, Alexandra Gottardo, Lucky Moniaga, Alan Maxson
Where to Watch: streaming on Shudder July 25, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: MONSTER ISLAND isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—it’s paying tribute to it. The latest Shudder original leans hard into the legacy of mid-century monster movies, echoing everything from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON to ISLAND OF TERROR. But beneath its nostalgic overlay lies a modern sheen: slick cinematography, multifaceted performances, and a cultural lens that gives the familiar premise just enough of a twist to keep it interesting.

Set during the final years of World War II, the story traps a British prisoner of war and a Japanese soldier on an uncharted island after their transport ship is torpedoed. Wartime politics and national allegiances already complicate their shared survival, but adding a mythological creature from Malay folklore to the mix blurs the line between man and monster. The film introduces the Orang Ikan, a fish-like humanoid predator that’s equal parts terrifying and sympathetic, depending on how you read the film’s subtle messaging.

Dean Fujioka and Callum Woodhouse lead the story, and their dynamic is what carries the emotional arc of the film. They aren’t just enemies forced into an uneasy alliance—they’re two broken men navigating guilt, fear, and colonialism, all while trying to survive the same predator. Fujioka brings a quiet, simmering intensity, while Woodhouse offers the kind of earnest vulnerability that makes their eventual bond feel earned rather than obligatory.

Visually, MONSTER ISLAND is a step above your average creature feature. The jungle setting, often shrouded in fog or underlit, provides just the right amount of claustrophobic atmosphere. Director Mike Wiluan is well aware of his inspirations. He plays into them, offering just enough glimpses of the monster to maintain suspense while still satisfying longtime fans of practical effects and creature design. Though the final reveal of the Orang Ikan relies more on CG than it should, the early sequences smartly keep things grounded. You see flashes, you hear guttural calls, and it works. The buildup is far more compelling than the full picture, but that’s often true of these types of films. (I will always stand by the fact that you don’t always have to “see the scary” to be scared!)

One of the film’s strengths lies in its ability to seamlessly blend genre influences. Instead of being a Western reinterpretation of Asian folklore, this is an Asian filmmaker telling his own monster story with reverence and awareness of Western genre expectations. Wiluan’s direction allows the myth to feel lived-in, not just a gimmick. There is something refreshing about a film that embraces B-movie energy while still treating its source material with care.

That said, the pacing begins to drag once the protagonists settle into a state of survival mode. Some stretches feel like we’re waiting for the next encounter rather than being pulled along by a cohesive story. The structure leans episodic, and while the film is never boring, it occasionally feels like a series of well-crafted moments rather than a fully unified story—a few flashbacks and dialogue scenes dip into cliché, undercutting the otherwise grounded tone.

Still, it’s hard not to admire what the film sets out to do. It wants to be a throwback. It prompts you to consider the dichotomy between man and nature, enemy and enemy, and survival and morality. And for the most part, it succeeds. The dynamic between the two leads evolves naturally, and even when the plot struggles, their performances remain compelling enough to push the film forward.

Akihiko Matsumoto’s score also deserves credit—it balances melancholy with dread in a way that elevates the quieter scenes. There’s a mournful energy running beneath the surface of MONSTER ISLAND, and the music helps reinforce the idea that this isn’t just a monster story—it’s a ghost story of sorts, a reflection on the trauma of war and the monsters we create in the aftermath.

MONSTER ISLAND may not reach the heights of the classics it lovingly references, but it doesn’t need to. It serves as a bridge between eras, reimagining old-school monster thrills through a post-colonial lens. With more polish than pulp and more restraint than chaos, it ends up being a solid entry in Shudder’s growing library of international horror.

It’s the kind of film that feels familiar in a comforting way. The monster lurks, the heroes adapt, and in the end, survival requires more than just brute strength—it requires understanding. MONSTER ISLAND brings enough sincerity and craftsmanship to make it worth watching.

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[photo courtesy of SHUDDER, GORYLAH PICTURES]

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