What cursed fantasy did Blumhouse wish for so that Fantasy Island could be made? It’s something humanity probably does not want to know because this film is terrible; it does not work in any aspect. As a horror film, it’s not scary. As a fantasy film, it does not coherently tell its stories. Even the drama and comedy are bound to bore the most interested moviegoer. For context, Blumhouse adapted this idea from a beloved fictional television series from the 70s in which guests would arrive at an island to have their deepest dreams come true. However, every week, viewers would learn that dreams sometimes don’t play out the way they want. Dreams would turn into nightmares as, for instance, being a king of a castle would mean the guest would have to manage an army going to war.
It seems to be an interesting premise. Given Blumhouse’s previous record with movies like Get Out and Whiplash, there seemed to be a hint of hope that Fantasy Island would contain interesting social commentary layered with scares that would entertain most moviegoers. This is not the case. Every choice that the filmmakers made completely ruined this potential. For instance, examine the dialogue in the film. Towards the end, the characters are forced to explain every aspect of the plot in a Q&A format that feels so artificial that it prevents the audience from making any connection with the characters. Part of the reason, though, that the writing team made this decision, was the vast amount of background information each character had. The complexity of this does not do the narrative any justice; and, indeed, there are a number of plot twists that are unintentionally hilarious. The humor does not last long though as the film takes itself way too seriously.
Suppose that the writing was good. Fantasy Island was marketed as a horror movie, but unfortunately, it failed in this respect too. It relies too heavily on the common horror tactics used to scare audiences. Have you ever seen scary figures walking across the background behind the protagonist? Has the sound gone silent only to release a loud jolt when the camera pans to a “scary” image? There are minimal to no unique camera movements or shot compositions that would intrigue audiences or put them in a state of suspense. Even the performances were subpar compared to the talent on screen. Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Michael Rooker, and Michael Peña have all been fantastic in different movies. However, none of them give a compelling performance here.
Overall, this is another attempt by the Hollywood studios to reboot past intellectual property for a new generation. This is the complaint many cinephiles and critics have alike; Hollywood needs to do a better job of identifying original voices who have original stories to tell. Without that, we will continue to see failures like Fantasy Island.
1/5 STARS