During the 1970s, one of the most popular vehicles for terror in American Horror films came from the fear of isolation, with nowhere to turn in the face of a ruthless murderer. The case with films like 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and 1977’s The Hills Have Eyes carried over into the ‘80s, with other standouts including 1980’s Motel Hell and 1981’s Just Before Dawn. A very realistic form of Horror, these films exploited the idea of naïve suburbanites or city-dwellers going into the backwoods or a rural area, only to meet a nightmarish death.
A fitting concept for Western culture Horror cinema, in 1985, accomplished British-Chinese Director Po-Chih Leong offered his own take on the style with his film The Island (also known as Sang sei sin). A diverse filmmaker, who had released the captivating and award-winning Hong Kong 1941 a year prior in 1985, The Island was only one of two Horror-related films in Po-Chih Leong’s career (including 1982’s He Lives by Night). With that in mind, The Island does have a very similar feel to many American films it seems to be inspired by; however, it has a very distinctive East Asian perspective.
Explaining it all rather briefly, with The Island, you have a teacher (Mr. Cheung, played by John Sham) and his students (including well-known Actor Timothy Zao) who set sail for a seemingly deserted island in hopes of an educational outdoor event. Unfortunately, they are not alone, and the island is far from deserted, but lurking in the shadows are a deranged family with murderous tendencies. Obsessed with finding a bride for the youngest brother of their dysfunctional family unit, they soon hunt down the unwanted visitors one by one. Will anyone survive this deadly expedition?
A pretty straightforward concept: the main difference between The Island and American films that came before is that the setting is not a rural/backwoods area, but a remote island. Furthermore, it gives you a glimpse into the cultural differences between modern, civilized Hong Kong and the undeveloped outskirts, comparable to any American film with a similar theme, but, as stated, with a very unique East Asian outlook.
Overall, not one of Po-Chin Leong’s most successful films, The Island did attain a cult following that spread beyond Hong Kong and into the rest of the Horror-loving world. Even winning the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Cinematography in 1986, it certainly has an eerie, unsettling feeling, enhanced by a distinctive grit. Including a very dark sense of humor, The Island is one of those Horror movies that all fans of the genre should see at least once, and now they can with the recent Special Edition Blu-ray release from Eureka!
A limited edition release (with only 2,000 copies pressed), it arrived on October 28, 2025, as part of Eureka Entertainment’s Master of Cinema Series, abd marks The Island’s debut in the North American market. Put together nicely, it comes with a fantastic 2K restoration, original Cantonese audio, and optional English subtitles newly translated for this release. Looking at this, it is essential to note that, given the rapid pace of much of the dialogue, reading the subtitles can be challenging at times. Nonetheless, it is recommended to come in with your focus vision in place as you prepare to watch. Beyond this, there are new audio commentaries and a delightful collector’s booklet featuring an interview with Po-Chih Leong, among other features.
Altogether, Eureka! has done a fine job presenting The Island, and it is a worthwhile addition to any Horror fan’s collection who realizes there are gems in the international world still yet to be found. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this new Special Blu-ray Edition release of The Island 4 out of 5 stars.
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