"Fantasy Island" Review

Plot Premise: Blumhouse's Fantasy Island is a horror reimagining of the television series of the same name. A group of unsuspecting individuals are brought to an island that is supposed to grant them the opportunity to experience their deepest fantasies only to find them go terribly wrong. Michael Peña portrays Mr. Roarke, the overseer of the island who welcomes the guests Gwen (Maggie Q), Melanie (Lucy Hale), Patrick (Austin Stowell), and brothers Brax (Jimmy O. Yang) and J. D. (Ryan Hansen). As fantasies turn to horror, what secrets will be uncovered and revelations brought forth?

The Good: Low-budget horror films are often ruined by trailers that either reveal too much or have overly dramatised sequences that aren't even present in the final cut of the film. In this regard, Fantasy Island is refreshing since there is a considerable amount of depth to the material and character revelations that is not even hinted at in the trailer. The trailer is downright bland compared to what the final product is. The writing explores some interesting concepts effectively and there is a bit more variety in genres than you'd expect to find in what seems like a simple, straight-forward premise. The film also explores more of the emotional layers of the characters than expected.

The Bad: There are some twists that come closer to the end that undermine some of the emotional intelligence that had been otherwise present.

Who This Film Is For: People who like horror, but also want to have a bit of a twist to the genre.