Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- brooding
- claustrophobic
- late night horror viewing
- classic horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and distinctive classic horror production whose later passages deliver especially effective scares despite an uneven, diffuse structure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The quarantine crisis and the suspected vorvolaka accusation sustain competing naturalistic and folkloric explanations.
The characters are trapped together on a Greek island during a plague quarantine.
The film's horror relies on ominous atmosphere, superstition, and carefully handled shocks rather than constant graphic display.
Madame Kyra's belief that Thea is a vorvolaka clashes with the plague quarantine and the characters' attempts to interpret events rationally.
Films like Isle of the Dead, and why
The Cat People
classic supernatural horror, isolated setting, and ambiguity between superstition and the uncanny
The Seventh Victim
psychological horror, shadowy atmosphere, and restrained supernatural suggestion
The Masque of the Red Death
quarantine dread, enclosed community tensions, and classic gothic horror mood
Movie Details
- Director
- Mark Robson
- Release Date
- 1945-09-07
- Runtime
- 72 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (121)
Cast
- Boris Karloff
- Ellen Drew
- Marc Cramer
- Katherine Emery
- Helene Thimig
- Alan Napier
- Jason Robards Sr.
- Ernst Deutsch
- Skelton Knaggs
- Sherry Hall
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Isle of the Dead about?
- During a plague quarantine on a Greek island, superstition turns an already desperate gathering into a claustrophobic nightmare of possible vampirism.
- What is Isle of the Dead like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Isle of the Dead as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Isle of the Dead violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Isle of the Dead as mild.
- What did critics think of Isle of the Dead?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and distinctive classic horror production whose later passages deliver especially effective scares despite an uneven, diffuse structure.
- Which films are like Isle of the Dead?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cat People, The Seventh Victim, and The Masque of the Red Death.
- How long is Isle of the Dead?
- Isle of the Dead runs 72 minutes.
- Where can I watch Isle of the Dead?
- In United States, Isle of the Dead streams on YouTube TV.
