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4.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Isle of Intrigue remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a real soft spot for black-and-white mysteries that feel like they were pulled out of a time capsule from a basement. If you need snappy editing or a plot that makes total sense, you are going to hate this.
It’s the kind of movie that is perfect for a rainy Sunday where you don't actually want to pay full attention to the screen. Sometimes, the background noise is the best part.
The whole thing takes place on this island that is supposed to be mysterious, but mostly just looks like a very quiet, very damp park. The cast—John Cairns, Dorothy Stanward, and the rest—spend a lot of time walking into rooms and looking shocked. It’s almost a sport.
There is this one scene where Dorothy Stanward is holding a letter, and she stares at it for what feels like five full minutes. I checked my watch twice. It’s not even a dramatic letter, it just looks like a grocery list.
If you have seen The Mysterious Mystery!, you’ll recognize the same sort of awkward pauses. It’s like the actors are waiting for someone to yell 'cut' but the camera keeps rolling. It’s not quite as charming as Better Behave, but it shares that same weird, stilted energy that makes you wonder if they even had a script on set.
There is a moment in the third act where a character reveals a secret that is supposed to be world-shattering. Instead, it’s just... mildly inconvenient? The reaction from the room is just a collective shrug. It’s hilarious.
I can’t tell if it’s bad on purpose or if they just really wanted to get home for dinner. Either way, it has this odd, dusty texture to it. 🎥
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie, really. But there’s something about the way Norman Shepherd delivers his lines—like he’s reading them off the back of a cereal box—that I kind of enjoyed. Don't go in expecting thrills. Go in expecting to watch people be very, very confused for an hour or so.
