Fantasy Island, the 2020 horror prequel to the ABC fantasy series of the same name, is gaining popularity on Hulu after initial criticism.
Fantasy Island was expected to be the next Cabin in the Woods, a smash hit horror comedy released nine years prior, but it failed to even remotely reach the same standard of quality.
Because of its many shortcomings, critics found that 2020’s Fantasy Island was ultimately an unnecessary addition to the existing franchise.

Four years after bombing with critics in 2020, this The Cabin in the Woods–esque horror movie is proving to be a huge hit on Hulu. Directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut, The Cabin in the Woods is a 2011 sci-fi comedy horror that follows a group of college students looking to let loose on a trip to the titular remote cabin, only to be terrorized and killed by mysterious monsters. However, it turns out a team of technicians is actually controlling all the horrors they encounter from an underground facility.

While a Cabin in the Woods 2 movie never happened, the horror comedy has a few spiritual successors. One theory suggests Seth Rogen’s This is the End is a sequel to The Cabin in the Woods, while another points out the similarities between M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin and The Cabin in the Woods. Three years before 2023’s Knock at the Cabin, a different horror movie was expected to fill the void left by The Cabin in the Woods. Though it didn’t perform well with critics and audiences, this 2020 title is now finding new life on Hulu.

Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island Movie Is Trending High On Hulu

Fantasy Island Is Seeing New Streaming Success Despite Flopping Upon Release In 2020

Spoilers for Fantasy Island (2020) ahead.Despite its initial poor performance, Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island (2020) is a hit on Hulu. Directed by Jeff Wadlow, 2020’s Fantasy Island is centered around a tropical resort on the titular island where guests come to make their fantasies a reality. However, when their dreams-come-true quickly turn into inescapable nightmares, they must figure out how to make it off the island alive. Wadlow wrote Fantasy Island with co-writers Christopher Roach and Jillian Jacobs as a prequel movie to ABC’s fantasy TV series of the same name that premiered in 1977, but filtered through a horror lens.

Fantasy Island seemed promising. Sadly, it turned out to be a big letdown, as reflected by its 8% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Based on the stacked cast of Fantasy Island, including Lucy Hale, Michael Peña, and Maggie Q, and Wadlow’s refreshing approach to the source material, Fantasy Island seemed promising. Sadly, it turned out to be a big letdown, as reflected by its 8% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Though it didn’t get much love upon release, Fantasy Island has embarked on a streaming redemption tour. At the time of writing, Fantasy Island is currently sitting in the #7 spot on Hulu’s Top 10 U.S. chart (via FlixPatrol), meaning it’s the seventh most popular title on the streamer overall, including TV shows.

Fantasy Island 2020 Was Supposed To Be The New Cabin In The Woods

Fantasy Island & The Cabin In The Woods Have Similar Premises

As noted, prior to its release, Fantasy Island was expected to be a solid Cabin in the Woods replacement due to their similar premises. Both horror movies are about a group of individuals who are forced to endure horrific experiences in remote locations at the hands of manipulative masterminds. Fantasy Island was frequently described as Westworld-meets-The Cabin in the Woods due to its horror re-imaging of the original series’ concept, and Variety’s Peter Debruge even pointed out Wadlow’s “‘Cabin in the Woods’-like ambitions” in his review.

Fantasy Island drastically failed to meet the standard set by The Cabin in the Woods.

However, Fantasy Island never saw even a fraction of The Cabin in the Woods‘ success. While they both did fine commercially, The Cabin in the Woods performed exceptionally well with critics, garnering a 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was especially unfortunate that Fantasy Island drastically failed to meet the standard set by The Cabin in the Woods because The Cabin in the Woods‘ ending prevented it from ever receiving an official sequel. Fantasy Island could’ve given fans TheCabin in the Woods fix they were missing, but instead, it fell flat.

Title
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Box Office Worldwide
Budget

Cabin in the Woods (2011)
92%

74%
$70 million
$30 million

Fantasy Island (2020)
8%
48%
$49 million
$7 million

Why Fantasy Island 2020’s Reviews Are So Negative

Critics Found The Horror Reimagining Of The Original ABC Series Unnecessary

The main problem that many critics had was that Fantasy Island just wasn’t necessary to begin with. As a horror-fied prequel movie to an existing series that concluded more than 35 years prior, Fantasy Island was already going to be held to high expectations and put under pressure to prove itself as a substantial contribution to the franchise. Essentially, this new installment better be as good or better than the original series, otherwise, there’s no point in reviving it.

Many critics felt that Fantasy Island failed to justify its existence in the first place.

Unfortunately, Fantasy Island did not meet these expectations at all. Critics found that Fantasy Island was ridden with plot holes, inconsistencies, and clichés, didn’t stick the landing with the big plot twist, and despite its gripping setup, turned out quite boring. It would’ve still been considered a flop as a standalone film, but as part of an existing franchise, Fantasy Island’s many shortcomings were even more glaring. Ultimately, many critics felt that Fantasy Island failed to justify its existence in the first place, and that the franchise should’ve been left alone.