Island Zero (2018) User Reviews

A clever idea constrained by a limited budget......

[s3276169 · 5/10 · 19 May 2018]

Island Zero is a film with a clever idea that is reasonably original that's constrained by an obviously limited budget.

The story line mixes an aquatic terror concept with issues of climate change that works quite well and is intelligently executed. The acting is mixed but at its best certainly decent and by no means a "reading off score card" moment you see from some films with a limited budget and casting choices.

Regrettably though the lack of funding shows through in the nominal and rather mediocre special/creatures effects. Given the emphasis of this film too decent special effects are important and their absence is sorely missed.

Had this film had more $$ to amp up the horror quotient I think it could have really been quite good. As it stands, moderately watchable but also anti climatic. 5/10 from me.

Looks Like the Pilot of a TV Series

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 5 August 2018]

The low-budget "Island Zero" is a film with an intriguing premise: in an island in Maine, the village is isolated from the continent without the ferry, phone line and Internet. Out of the blue, residents vanish while the survivors have to ration the water and food. What is hunting them down? A biologist may have the answer. The development has moments of soap opera but is not bad and the solution for the budget restriction is smart, making the creatures invisible and saving the costs in CGI. However the conclusion is disappointing and gives the sensation that something is missing. In the end, "Island Zero" looks like the pilot of a TV series. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Island Zero is a big fat zero

[deedles49 · 1/10 · 20 December 2019]

Are these reviews serious? Did they watch the same movie I just watched? Bad acting, bad accents (I live in New England) they shouldn't try so hard. Where is the story? Where is the plot? Where is the writer's brain? So many mistakes it isn't even funny. And the ending. You have to be kidding! Why didn't they just run toward the chain saws? They could have just added a shed full of chain saws and a maniac. It would have made more sense. Waste of time.

Definitely a lot of bang for a little bit of buck$

[tkaine3 · 7/10 · 19 May 2018]

This movie by all accounts was a good film. I tend to steer clear of indie horror films albeit this film wasn't very scary but it would fall into the horror genre, Usually these films are written horribly and the acting is so below par I can't get through the first 15 minutes but watching "Island Zero" from the beginning was not the case by any means.. The acting and pace of this film was well performed and intelligent. Not rocket science but just enough so that it seemed very believable and witty. The budget clearly was independent level hence the special effects but it was all done in a respectable manner not frivolous. Theres no big names in this film which even gives it a more authentic feel like they really used some locals off the island..

My one gripe is this film could have been 15-20 mins. Shorter but in all honesty I would prefer they took time like they did explaining whats happening instead of some films having no clue and just leaving it up to our imagination to fill in the blanks.. All in All I would say this was a pretty good film to watch and definitely high remarks being on a shoe string budget.. Congrats.

The ending OMG!

[philharmonica · 1/10 · 2 February 2021]

Dont waste your time. 1 hours and 41 minutes of your life you cant get back. You thought the Sopranos ending with a black screen was bad. This is worse. You have been warned.

Low-budget, but worth watching

[ametysa · 7/10 · 19 May 2018]

The movie is obviously low-budget, but that doesn't mean it is a bad or badly made movie. You just cannot expect it to be at the same level as some big blockbuster movie. There were some interesting ideas and although the movie needs a new ending, it was interesting enough and I actually enjoyed watching it.

Low on cash, high in charm

[vetmawd · 8/10 · 16 December 2018]

There's really nothing to dislike about this movie. Done on a shoestring budget there's a lot of weight on the actors which they are more than able to handle. Every role seem believable, natural and above all is lacking the dreaded Hollywood overacting that most movies suffer from. The cinematography is exceptional and fits well with the synthwave soundtrack to set the right mood. The only thing that could've been better are the computer effects and the somewhat unrealistic blood spatter. Overall this is a highly charming indie flick with a lot of soul. Recommended!

Good story,great atmosphere,with some budget limitations

[Colin-630-935811 · 7/10 · 16 May 2018]

A group of people living on a small island in New England find themselves cut off from the mainland,no ferry,no supplies,no power,no internet. At first,the obvious limitations of the budget was a little worrying,but the cast,the story,and the writing really made up for it,and I found myself absorbed in the lives of these people,and the lurking horror out of sight. The first 45 minutes are very effective,and I do wish they had stuck to this instead of the later attempts at sci-fi action,which is rarely possible on such a small budget. There are a few bits of gore,which seemed to be the wrong color to me,next time up the red and shiny! The second half was OK, and with a larger budget I could see this movie doing very well,I really liked the setup and the atmosphere and paranoia of the first half was very well done indeed. So,a mixed bag,I was hoping that the apocalyptic Lovecraftian feel of the first half would continue through the whole film,perhaps the filmmakers would go that route on another movie? Because there's lots of promise here,a damn fine effort. The doctor's identity drove me nuts,until I realized she was in Planes Trains and Automobiles!! She was fantastic,a great character,I liked the film and would watch it again.

JUnk - not even worth throwing on for background noise

[natcalgary · 3/10 · 18 May 2018]

I liked the premise of the movie and went in not expecting much more than a crap movie, I wasn't surprised. Bad acting all around. Bad cinematography. Plot holes, and horrible music. Ridiculous ending, Don't waste your time

bad on every level

[attennessee · 1/10 · 11 June 2021]

People reviewing this movie cite a limited budget as a low key excuse for its lapses. Maybe to them a small budget can excuse things like poor script, poor acting and poor direction but not to me.

Poor writing -- the minute we're introduced to key characters we also have to endure the annoying melodrama of their lives which we don't even care about because we don't know them yet! Totally unnecessary goes-nowhere filler, inspired zero emotional involvement and gave me an eye-rolling migraine.

Poor acting -- everyone except the physician.

Poor directing -- it's simple things, like in the diner scene. Two working men (fishermen) with physically demanding jobs both order a hot juicy hamburger with chips and proceed to sit there -- wooden-like -- as the scene continues for over 5 minutes (!) without ever touching their food! Distractingly unrealistic. Obviously the director said "don't eat" but I've never seen two supposedly hungry human beings order food only to ignore it when it arrives. A director is an observer of human nature and observing others (and noting what is interesting about them) is FREE. Being street smart is free. Respecting the power of how a film can communicate fear or joy is free.

There were no elaborate costume requirements, no CGI costs, no set design or prop expenses. So i guess all the money went only to the logistics of filming.

Before you direct, or write or act in a movie again please study how humans behave because nothing in this movie was relatable and relatability can turn a "low budget" film into a cult classic. Here are some that were flawlessly executed on a tight budget: Halloween (1978), The Evil Dead (1981) and The Blair Witch Project (1999). You don't need a big budget to tell a story in a compelling and engrossing way.

1 star for the location.

Something fishy is going on...

[sian_b_badger · 1/10 · 13 June 2018]

Please note that the following transcript is not based on actual events & is a concept of fiction (arguably better than the plot line of the film itself). Writer: "It is a monster movie about an apex predator that lives in the water & terrorises an island community." Producer: "Hmmm...monster movie. Sounds costly. Monsters aren't easy to create & we don't have a massive budget." Writer: "Well, that is the beauty of it - the monsters are naked to the human eye." *waves hands about mysteriously* Producer: "Jon..." *sighs* "You are a genius cheapskate." *places pen down on table* Writer: "I know. It practically writes itself."

Please note that the plot may have been better if it did write itself or if a 3 year old wrote it.

Engaging thriller that fell short.

[arizonasundevil-25424 · 4/10 · 11 February 2021]

Enjoyed 3/4 of the movie but the story slowly dropped to being unbelievable. Poor acting except for the 2 main characters. I was hoping for more but ended up being disappointed.

Good Indie Sci-Fi/Horror

[Jean-Phillipe · 7/10 · 27 October 2018]

Great concept, but low budget film. Decent acting from the two leads and the "old lady" character actor was great! I was impressed by the story and started to think that this could easily become a cult classic. I also started to imagine what if a big studio picked this up and poured a few million dollars into and remade it with better special effects? Laila Robins is awesome and I would definitely love to see her reprise her role in a big budget remake with a better supporting cast and fleshed out script. Kudos all around... I enjoyed the movie for what it was despite the fact it had the potential to be so much more.

Great Film..never bored...better than most in theaters nowadays

[mzgolfmz · 10/10 · 14 October 2018]

I enjoyed this film...I watched it on cozy Sunday morning; and was delighted with the results. Great actors, great plot, surprising twist near the end....I can relate because I am a city girl who use to live on the Cape (cod) and could totally relate to the film.

Island Zero: Great film ruined by marginal stupidity

[Platypuschow · 7/10 · 12 October 2018]

The opening scene of Island Zero was so needless, no senseless I almost turned the film off. I know that type of scene is a common trope of the genre but the way it was done was just plain cruel and seriously damaged the film for me.

Once I got past that I found myself gripped, really gripped in fact! This was a fascinating little film.

It tells the story of a small obscure island and its inhabitants that become concerned when the ferry stops turning up. As they find themselves forced to ration, running out of fuel and unable to reach the mainland the real threat emerges.

I really enjoyed Island Zero it's an example of what can be done with a minimal budget, a few cut away deaths, carefully done sfx and apparently even the costumes came from a local charity shop!

Great character development, a very tense plot and great concept. I genuinely was fascinated by the whole thing but the beginning and end took what should have been something incredible and made it passable.

I would recommend this regardless as the bulk of the film is fantastic on every level.

The featured review at time of writing this refers to the movie as "Liberal Propaganda", another person who doesn't understand the meaning of the word. A film that features global warming is not propaganda, a movie that acknowledges that guns serve the single purpose of killing is not propaganda. Just because it doesn't follow your narrow intellectually limited mindset does not make something propaganda and displays overwhelming ignorance.

Anyway I digress, solid film ruined by marginal stupidity.

The Good:

Excellent plot

Very well crafted

Good character development

The Bad:

Lack of budget shows in places

Opening sequence is beyond cruel

Finale should have been better

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

If you find a bloody unexplained mess, it makes no sense to tell people about it

Goverment officials have super mega powered batteries that last longer than all others

When right wing people are even getting offended by horror movies they need to stop calling others snowflakes

OK Mystery/Horror, But eventually falls flat.

[gtrey1 · 4/10 · 23 February 2021]

It's a decent enough mystery that's keeps you somewhat engaged until about 70% through when it starts falling off a cliff. The ending is... well, maybe they just ran out of ideas. They writer had a good idea, but just didn't know where to take it.

The entire movie takes place on an island not to far from the Cape Cod area. The characters are interesting enough, although acting is a little subpar by some of the actors. Not sure it was cast well either.

Recommend if you like low budget mystery/horror and can't find anything else to watch.

Death stalks the fishing village

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 22 June 2018]

Was drawn into seeing 'Island Zero' with a cool poster/cover, a very intriguing and creative premise and as someone with a general appreciation for the genre. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive.

'Island Zero' is a film it doesn't do enough with its potential (although there are far bigger wastes of potential in film) and could have been much better, can't say that it is a great film because it isn't. It is not a terrible film though, as far as recent low-budget film viewings go it's better than most but with good things. It certainly could have been far worse, considering the large number of films seen recently being mediocre at best and irredeemably terrible at worst.

Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric and spooky and 'Island Zero' is surprisingly well shot considering the budget. The music is ominous.

Found that the acting was not bad, while not award-worthy it was not amateurish and it seemed like the actors were trying to engage. The direction has assured parts.

Also that there were a few nice moments that intrigued and there was some suspense, frightening horror and unsettlement, the first portion is promising.

The suspense and unsettlement doesn't come consistently however, with the second half not having enough of either. What stops them from being frequent and stronger is an at times deadly dull pace with too many overlong scenes of little going on, not all necessary either and there for padding mainly, and also a structure that is not as cohesive or clear as it could have been. The less suspense and sense of horror there is, the more senseless and ridiculous it gets, the ending is ludicrous. Part of me felt it could have been more claustrophobic with the close-knit setting and community, some of the film feels too safe and restrained for such a dire situation.

'Island Zero's' idea was great but the content didn't always feel enough for a feature film. It feels more like a short film over-stretched at times. The over-stretched sense is present too in a rushed-first-draft-stage and talky script and a pace that goes overkill on the slow burning. With a pace and structure that fails to compel it is very difficult to ignore.

Characters have very little to them, while the budget limitations show in the editing, which is careless at times, and especially the effects, which look afterthought-like.

Overall, not an easy film to rate or review. Not awful, not much to get excited about. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Seriously the worst movie ever made

[christopherguethe · 1/10 · 26 October 2018]

I'm sorry, but if you think this movie has any redeeming qualities you are an absolute idiot who deserves to have his head run over with a lawnmower. The plot is pointless and unprofound, the script teeters between laughable and nauseating, the acting is painful and amateurish, and the directing is so frustratingly bad I think it might have broken my brain. Thanks for ruining my life, Josh Gerritsen.

Worst movie ever

[israel_oved · 1/10 · 19 May 2018]

Don't waist ur time watching it & the acting is terrible

GOOD FILM.

[nickeyblack35 · 7/10 · 12 March 2020]

I didn't scroll to see if there were any low ratings or harsh criticisms because i wanted to be fair with my opinion on this film. It was a good movie. I think this would've been an excellent series, and not just a film. It could've been a slow burn series like THE OUTSIDER. Anyways, if any person associated with this film is reading this, then good effort. I was entertained.

It was the end that let it down

[realredundant · 5/10 · 29 January 2021]

The set up was good. The atmosphere was built up nicely and it was well acted. The concept of the creatures was cool (ha ha) and I enjoyed it.

But when the reveal about one of the characters happened and the entire film flipped I just got irritated. It didn't need petty human drama and cliche motivations. It was already cool and mysterious monsters with unknown motivations would have been more intriguing than standard conspiracy fare.

nicely made low-budget thriller, but familiar

[davidm-14 · 7/10 · 1 September 2018]

The story is very reminiscent of "the island" series by michael stark. a series of 4 books that came out in 2012. he gets no story credit here, but it's very similar - a group of people on an island are cut off with no explanation as to what's going on outside. weirdness ensues.

this film is well-acted by non-famous faces and the creeping dread of realizing they are alone without anyone to contact on the mainland starts to ratchet up the suspense. for an indie film it's quite enjoyable.

Wow. This movie goes down hill really fast.

[SSJAWSUM · 1/10 · 20 February 2023]

I gave it a shot. I mean you can't mess up an old fashioned mystery right? Or botch a creature feature that badly? Three quarters into the movie and I have never been so wrong. Starts off mysterious enkugh. But then the movie leans super heavy into the stranded nature of their situation. I get it, you're stuck with little food and little resources. Can we get back to the main story? I'm barely hanging on as it is. Just do yourself a favor and save yourself from self loathing. Don't watch this movie. It is beyond cringey, the special effects, the sound, the 80s synth background music. All trash.

Go Laila (but cheaply)

[stevelomas-69401 · 5/10 · 23 December 2020]

Laila Robbins (The Boys) caries this Uber cheap 'thing in the water' cheesy flick. The concept and execution are great but the acting and delivery are decidedly '50s.

Wasted potential. So close to being a good film.

[frankblack-79961 · 5/10 · 4 February 2021]

Starts out good. Draws you into the story. About half way through the story and characters have a slow breakdown. Has some good gory scenes and special effects are good. Worth a watch if you dont have anything else to watch.