Imagine an island where all of your deepest desires, no matter how big or small, could be fulfilled in the blink of an eye. What would you ask for? Would you wish for something that only benefits you or would you change the world? What if you didn’t know it came with an unexpected twist, would you still give it a risk? I personally couldn’t go on the island. No matter how bad my desire is for something I couldn’t go to a remote island where I don’t know the price for making my fantasies come true. 

What Is Fantasy Island?

Fantasy Island, directed by Jeff Wadlow, is a horror adaptation of the popular ‘70s TV show about a magical island resort. It’s a movie that will leave you at the edge of your seat, but also with a heavy heart. On this island, it is Mr. Roarke’s job is to fulfill each one of his guests wishes on his beautiful resort with luxurious treatment. The trick about the island is that while it is a get-away, it’s also a remote island, and did I mention there is no phone service? Crazy right? While all of their fantasies came true they quickly turned into a nightmare they didn’t expect. The guests must solve the mystery of the island in order to try to escape with their sanity AND their lives.

What I felt

Although there was a price to pay for each fantasy in the end I feel like each character got the ending they deserved.

For example (SPOILERS AHEAD), Brax and JD got independence from one another (what JD wanted and needed) and what Brax suspected he needed; Gwen realized her true regrets and became a more selfless person in the process; Patrick was able to overcome the loss of his father; came to see him as a hero, and himself became a hero; Sloane confronted both her past misdeeds and the ugliest part of herself; and Melanie, in death, was reunited with her love, and was able to be with him in a world where he was free of pain and suffering. Even Mr. Roarke got what he wanted, the island and freedom from reliving his wife’s passing over and over.

It gave me a roller coaster of emotions. Characters that I disliked at the beginning of the movie, I grew to love in the ending. This movie also in a way teaches some lessons. It shows how holding a grudge against someone can lead you to do more damage to yourself than to them. Another lesson is to be kind to others. You never really realize how your words can affect someone and stay with them forever. You should give people the same respect you would want. I also feel that some people should have left the island when they first saw the red flags. I know I would have.

My Overall Opinion

Overall, I would give this movie a generous 7/10. I love how it gave different points of views and in the end combined everyone’s journey into one great ending that I didn’t see coming. Ultimately showing us that sometimes things really are too good to be true. This movie will give you a mixture of emotions depending on how you view the characters and their actions.

My favorite characters are the ones who ultimately saw their faults and sought to make a change in one way or another. So if you like movies with a pinch of horror, adventure, and romance with amazing twists and a semi-happy ending, this is the movie for you.