Best Island Movies (Top Picks At A Glance)
Cast Away(2000)
50 First Dates(2004)
The Blue Lagoon(1980)
Shutter Island(2010)
Kong: Skull Island(2017)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall(2008)
Couples Retreat(2009)
Jurassic World(2015)
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Island movies are some of the best films for people who love adventure and excitement. From survival island movies to romantic comedies set on islands, this list has something for everyone.
Whether you’re looking for a movie to watch on a rainy day or you’re planning a vacation and want to get in the mood, these 25+ island movies will have you ready to explore the world!
1. Cast Away
Details
Release Date: December 22, 2000
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance
Runtime: 143 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Ratings
Watch NowEndless Popcorn
89%Rotten Tomatoes
7.8/10IMDB
73/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Paul Sanchez
Ramon
Lari White
Bettina Peterson
Leonid Citer
Fyodor
David Allen Brooks
Dick Peterson
Yelena Popovic
Beautiful Russian Woman (as Yelena Papovic)
Valentina Ananina
Russian Babushka
Semion Sudarikov
Nicolai
Tom Hanks
Chuck Noland
Peter Von Berg
Yuri
Dmitri S. Boudrine
Lev
François Duhamel
French FedEx Loader
Michael Forest
Pilot Jack
Viveka Davis
Lady from Dick Bettina farm
Viveka Davis
Pilot Gwen
Nick Searcy
Stan
Jennifer Choe
Memphis State Student
Jenifer Lewis
Becca Twig
Where To Watch
Cast Away Movies Description
Tom Hanks stars in the movie Cast Away as Chuck Noland, a FedEx executive who survives a plane crash and is stranded on a deserted island. He must learn to survive against all odds, using his resourcefulness and ingenuity.
A volleyball named Wilson becomes his only friend on the island. After years of isolation, Chuck begins to wonder if he will ever make his way back to civilization.
- Where Was Cast Away Filmed?
2. 50 First Dates
Details
Release Date: February 13, 2004
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Runtime: 99 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Peter Segal
Ratings
Watch NowEndless Popcorn
45%Rotten Tomatoes
6.8/10IMDB
48/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Adam Sandler
Henry Roth
Drew Barrymore
Lucy Whitmore
Rob Schneider
Ula
Sean Astin
Doug Whitmore
Lusia Strus
Alexa
Dan Aykroyd
Dr. Keats
Amy Hill
Sue
Allen Covert
Ten Second Tom
Blake Clark
Marlin Whitmore
Maya Rudolph
Stacy
Pomaika’i Brown
Nick
Joe Nakashima
Old Hawaiian Man
Peter Dante
Security Guard
Dom Magwili
Security Guard
Jonathan Loughran
Jennifer
Kevin James
Factory Worker
Lynn Collins
Linda
Jackie Sandler
Dentist
Missi Pyle
Noreen
Kristin Bauer Van Straten
Female Firefighter
Where To Watch
50 First Dates Movie Description
Henry (Adam Sandler) must convince the friends and family of Lucy (Drew Barrymore) that he is in love with her, as she suffers from short-term memory loss and therefore cannot remember anything that happened the previous day.
Every morning, Henry must woo her again as she has no recollection of any past events. This makes the task of winning her love and approval all the more difficult, but Henry is up for the challenge. Can he succeed in making Lucy fall in love with him?
- Where Was 50 First Dates Filmed?
3. The Blue Lagoon
Details
Release Date: July 2, 1980
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance
Runtime: 104 minutes
Rating: R
Director: Randal Kleiser
Ratings
Worth WatchingEndless Popcorn
8%Rotten Tomatoes
5.8/10IMDB
31/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Brooke Shields
Emmeline Lestrange
Christopher Atkins
Richard Lestrange
Leo McKern
Paddy Button
William Daniels
Arthur Lestrange
Elva Josephson
Young Emmeline
Glenn Kohan
Young Richard
Alan Hopgood
Captain
Gus Mercurio
Officer
Jeffrey Kleiser
Lookout
Bradley Pryce
Little Paddy
Where To Watch
The Blue Lagoon Movie Description
Emmeline (Elva Josephson) and Richard (Glenn Kohan), survive a shipwreck and find themselves stranded on a beautiful island in the Pacific Ocean.
With the help of Paddy Button (Leo McKern), another castaway, they learn the basics of survival. When Paddy dies, Emmeline (Brooke Shields) and Richard (Christopher Atkins) are on their own to discover sex, love, and loneliness in a tropical paradise.
4. Shutter Island
Details
Release Date: February 14, 2010
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Runtime: 138 minutes
Rating: R
Director: Martin Scorsese
Ratings
Watch NowEndless Popcorn
68%Rotten Tomatoes
8.2/10IMDB
63/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Leonardo DiCaprio
Teddy Daniels
Mark Ruffalo
Chuck Aule
Ben Kingsley
Dr. Cawley
Max Von Sydow
Dr. Naehring
Michelle Williams
Dolores
Emily Mortimer
Rachel 1
Patricia Clarkson
Rachel 2
Jackie Earle Haley
George Noyce
Ted Levine
Warden
John Carroll Lynch
Deputy Warden McPherson
Elias Koteas
Laeddis
Robin Bartlett
Bridget Kearns
Christopher Denham
Peter Breene
Nellie Sciutto
Nurse Marino
Joseph Sikora
Glen Miga (as Joe Sikora)
Jill Larson
Manacled Woman
Where To Watch
Shutter Island Movie Description
U.S. Marshals Edward Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) travel to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), a patient at the island’s Ashecliffe Hospital.
Upon their arrival, a storm leaves them stranded on the island and they are unable to return to the mainland for a few days. Daniels and Aule start to realize that things are not how they seem in the hospital and that they can’t trust anyone. Their lives may be endangered as they try to uncover the truth about what is going on at Shutter Island.
- Where Was Shutter Island Filmed?
5. Kong: Skull Island
Details
Release Date: March 10, 2017
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-fi
Runtime: 118 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Ratings
Watch NowEndless Popcorn
75%Rotten Tomatoes
6.7/10IMDB
62/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Tom Hiddleston
James Conrad
Samuel L. Jackson
Preston Packard
Brie Larson
Mason Weaver
John C. Reilly
Hank Marlow
John Goodman
Bill Randa
Corey Hawkins
Houston Brooks
John Ortiz
Victor Nieves
Tian Jing
San
Toby Kebbell
Jack Chapman
Toby Kebbell
Kong
Jason Mitchell
Mills
Will Brittain
Young Marlow
Will Brittain
Marlow’s Son
Cynthy Wu
Thug’s Girlfriend
Where To Watch
Kong: Skull Island Movie Description
A mythical, unknown island in the Pacific Ocean is explored by scientists, soldiers, and explorers. In the domain of Kong, they set off the ultimate confrontation between man and nature.
As their objective of research rapidly shifts to one of survival, they must battle to get away from a primitive world where man does not belong. In order to escape, they will have to put up a fight against the natural forces of the island along with the creatures on it.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Details
Release Date: April 18, 2008
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Runtime: 111 minutes
Rating: R
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Ratings
Must WatchEndless Popcorn
83%Rotten Tomatoes
7.1/10IMDB
67/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Kristen Bell
Sarah Marshall
Jason Segel
Peter Bretter
Paul Rudd
Chuck
Mila Kunis
Rachel Jansen
Russell Brand
Aldous Snow
Bill Hader
Brian Bretter
Liz Cackowski
Liz Bretter
Maria Thayer
Wyoma
Jack McBrayer
Darald
Taylor Wily
Kemo
Kristen Wiig
Yoga Instructor
Jonah Hill
Matthew the Waiter
Where To Watch
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Movie Description
Peter Bretter (Jason Segel), an up-and-coming musician, suffered a great loss when his girlfriend of five years, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), broke up with him.
He decides to take a trip to Hawaii in an attempt to get over her. When he arrives, he discovers that she and her new boyfriend are also on the island.
7. Couples Retreat
Details
Release Date: October 9, 2009
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 113 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Peter Billingsley
Ratings
Worth WatchingEndless Popcorn
10%Rotten Tomatoes
5.5/10IMDB
23/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Vince Vaughn
Dave
Malin Akerman
Ronnie
Jon Favreau
Joey
Jason Bateman
Jason
Faizon Love
Shane
Kristen Bell
Cynthia
Kristin Davis
Lucy
Kali Hawk
Trudy
Tasha Smith
Jennifer
Carlos Ponce
Salvadore
Ken Jeong
Therapist
Where To Watch
Couples Retreat Movie Description
Four couples, go to a tropical island resort for some relaxation. However, they soon find out that the price of paradise is participation in mandatory couples therapy sessions.
Initially upset at the requirement, they all eventually come to understand and appreciate the value of the therapy. Through it, they learn more about themselves and their relationships.
8. Jurassic World
Details
Release Date: June 6, 2015
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, Thriller
Runtime: 124 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Ratings
Watch NowEndless Popcorn
71%Rotten Tomatoes
7.0/10IMDB
59/100MetaCritic
Cast
Name
Character
Chris Pratt
Owen Grady
Chris Pratt
Owen
Chris Pratt
as Owen
Bryce Dallas Howard
Claire Dearing
Bryce Dallas Howard
as Claire
Ty Simpkins
as Gray
Judy Greer
Karen
Judy Greer
as Karen
Irrfan Khan
Masrani
Irrfan Khan
as Masrani
Vincent D’Onofrio
Vic Hoskins
Vincent D’Onofrio
as Hoskins
Nick Robinson
as Zach
Jake Johnson
Lowery
Jake Johnson
as Lowery
Omar Sy
as Barry
BD Wong
Dr. Henry Wu
BD Wong
as Dr. Henry Wu
Lauren Lapkus
Vivian
Lauren Lapkus
as Vivian
Brian Tee
as Hamada
Katie McGrath
as Zara
Andy Buckley
as Scott
Eric Edelstein
as Paddock Supervisor
Courtney James Clark
as Mosasaurus Announcer
Colby Boothman
as Young Raptor Handler
Jimmy Fallon
as Jimmy Fallon
Colin Trevorrow
Mr. DNA
Eddie J. Fernandez
Paddock Worker
Brad Bird
Monorail Announcer
Tait Fletcher
InGen Soldier
Where To Watch
Jurassic World Movie Description
Jurassic World, a huge theme park that houses dinosaurs, is located on an island off the coast of Costa Rica. When one of their most hazardous ones escapes, it sets off a chain of events that puts all of the people on the island at risk.
Now it’s up to Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), an animal expert and owner-operator who is also ex-military, to save the tourists from these prehistoric creatures. Among those he must protect are a pair of young children.
- How To Watch All The Jurassic Park Movies In Order
That wraps it up for what we believe will provide you with the best possible experience on your search for the best island movies. You really can’t go wrong with watching any of the films above. However, is 8 movies really enough? Obviously not! If you’re like us and watch through movies at a borderline unhealthy rate then you’ll need more films!
So we’ll be listing all the other island movies we went through that just barely got beat out by the ones above. So if you’ve watched through our top picks these should definitely be next up on your movie watchlist!
22 Of The Best Island Movies You Can’t Miss
- Jaws (1975)
- Pirates Of The Caribbean (2003-2017)
- Swiss Army Man (2016)
- Pearl Harbor (2001)
- Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
- Battle Royal (2000)
- Six Days Seven Night (1998)
- The Bounty (1984)
- Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
- The Island (2005)
- The Thin Red Line (1998)
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- Fantasy Island (2020)
- The Perfect Getaway (2009)
- Papillon (1973)
- Lord Of The Flies (1990)
- Serenity (2019)
- George Of The Jungle (1997)
- The Beach (2000)
- Prey (2019)
- The Rock (1996)
- Dr. No (1962)