A Japanese soldier and a British prisoner of war are stranded on a deserted island, hunted by a deadly creature. Two enemies must come together to survive the unknown. A film by Mike Wiluan, starring Dean Fujioka, Callum Woodhouse, Kazushi Kato, Kenji Jahja, Hiroaki Kato, Lucky Moniaga, and Alan Maxson.
ORANG IKAN
MONSTER ISLAND
Mike Wiluan
(2025)
During World War II, Japanese forces transported Allied prisoners of war to Japan for forced labor. These transports became infamously known as ‘Hell Ships.’
These ‘Hell Ships’ were inhumane and deadly, with many vessels mistakenly targeted by Allied forces. Tragically, over 30,000 Japanese and Allied personnel perished on these voyages.
In 1944, Second Lieutenant Saito (Dean Fujioka) is imprisoned aboard the Hell Ship “Arisan Maru” (阿里山丸) alongside other prisoners of war. After enduring a period of torture, he is escorted to the brig office on the orders of the Commander.
It appears that Saito has been captured and branded a traitor. The Commander (Kazushi Kato) declares that his sin of betraying his country is punishable by death. However, he explains that the higher-ups have ordered Saito to be returned to Japan, where he’ll be executed publicly as an example. But since Saito is now aboard his ship, the Commander decides to take matters into his own hands.
Another prisoner is brought into the same room. It’s a British soldier, Bronson (Callum Woodhouse) who attempted to escape the night before but was caught. The Commander believes that simply killing Bronson would be too easy, so he orders his men to shackle Bronson to Saito, hoping they will eventually turn on each other.
Suddenly, the ship comes under attack from multiple aircraft, sending all personnel into high alert. Amidst chaotic explosions that destabilize the ship, Bronson and Saito seize the moment, fighting for their lives. They manage to overpower three officers until the Commander confronts Saito, attempts to shoot him, but misses. Bronson drags Saito out of the room, and they jump overboard just before an Allied submarine torpedoes and sinks the ship.
Bronson carries the unconscious Saito to a beach on an unknown island, collapsing next to him. Moments later, Saito wakes to find himself stranded and still chained to a sleeping Bronson. He spots the body of a Japanese soldier washed ashore and retrieves a handgun. As Saito pulls the slide, aiming to shoot the shackle, Bronson jolts awake. Believing Saito is trying to kill him, Bronson lunges and attempts to strangle Saito to death.
As they struggle, fighting and tumbling into the water, a mysterious creature violently snatches Bronson, dragging him under. While Bronson frees himself and is thrashing about, Saito spots the creature approaching Bronson from behind and shoots it. The creature flees and vanishes into the sea.
Back on the beach, Bronson struggles to comprehend the recent attack, wondering about the creature that ambushed him. He tries to ask Saito what he saw, but Saito doesn’t understand English. Stranded on an unknown island, shackled to a foreign prisoner, and surrounded by washed-up corpses with a mysterious creature lurking nearby, Saito plunges into despair, convinced that God has forsaken him.
As Saito is about to pull the trigger committing suicide, Bronson intervenes and snatches the gun from Saito. Thinking two heads are better than one, Bronson hands his last bullet to Saito while keeping the gun. Neither is useful without the other, and they know they need to be ready when that creature comes back.
Despite the language barrier, Saito and Bronson begin to bond over a meal of grilled crabs that Saito prepared. Using a tool he salvaged from the wreckage, Bronson makes a crude axe. Saito helps by showing him where to strike the chain, and together they manage to break free from their shackles. However, their newfound freedom is short-lived as Japanese soldiers who survived the shipwreck wash ashore on life jackets.
As two Japanese soldiers and an Orang Melayu (Lucky Moniaga) approach their campfire, Saito signals Bronson to hide in the nearby jungle. Despite Saito’s insistence that he is alone, the Japanese soldier (Hiroaki Kato) quickly realizes he is a traitor who was meant to be chained with a fugitive. He threatens to kill Saito unless he reveals where the fugitive is hiding.
Suddenly, a deep growling sound comes from the jungle, startling them all. The Orang Melayu becomes visibly frightened, repeatedly crying out “Orang Ikan!” One Japanese soldier (Kenji Jahja) ventures into the jungle to investigate. He eventually discovers a cave where the creature, Orang Ikan (Alan Maxson), attacks and kills him.
While the other Japanese soldier is distracted by the scream, Bronson ambushes him, driving a blade through his neck and rescuing Saito. The two immediately retreat into the jungle. From their hiding spot, they watch in horror as the Orang Ikan brutally kills the wounded soldier, ripping the still-beating heart from his chest. The creature then snaps the Orang Melayu’s neck before tearing off his head with monstrous strength.
Written and directed by Singaporean filmmaker Mike Wiluan, ORANG IKAN is a survival horror film inspired by a mythological creature from Malay and Indonesian folklore. The story follows two protagonists, one Japanese and one British, who become stranded together on a deserted island.
In Malay and Indonesian mythology, “Orang Ikan” translates to “Fish Man” or “Fish Person.” It is a mythological creature resembling a humanoid with fish-like characteristics, often described as a fish-man or merman. This creature appears in various Malay and Indonesian accounts and folklore as a mysterious aquatic entity. Stories of sightings of the Orang Ikan have persisted for over a century, especially among fishermen. The creature is considered part of the broader folklore tradition of mythological sea creatures in the region, sharing similarities with mermaids and other humanoid sea beings but with distinct local cultural interpretations.
What’s compelling about this premise is that these two men can’t communicate verbally due to the language barrier. Set in 1944, the Japanese soldier doesn’t speak or understand English, while the British soldier doesn’t understand Japanese.
Orang Ikan. Prisoners of War. 1944.
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A film by Mike Wiluan, starring Dean Fujioka, Callum Woodhouse, Kazushi Kato, Kenji Jahja, Hiroaki Kato, Lucky Moniaga, and Alan Maxson.
Despite this obstacle, they find ways to communicate through gestures and body language, though in limited ways. They’re forced to watch each other carefully, doing their best to interpret what the other is trying to say, especially when their lives are at stake as they’re hunted by a mysterious and violent creature.
The special effects and monster design are quite solid for what appears to be a modest-budget project, particularly with the use of practical blood and gore effects. This approach works well in low light, where the filmmaker can obscure or intentionally hide any imperfections. I think monsters, especially mythical creatures, are most effective when they don’t fully reveal themselves; they’re often best when lurking in shadows, letting viewers’ imaginations run wild. In daylight, however, the creature appears less frightening, and its flaws become more apparent. It almost makes you wonder if the filmmaker intentionally made the creature look like a man in a rubber suit, especially in close-up shots.
The creature’s size and strength seem inconsistent throughout the film. At times, it appears enormous and incredibly powerful, like during its initial encounter with the Japanese soldier in the cave or when it kills a crocodile. Yet later, it appears much smaller and is simply cornered by Saito and Bronson, retreating to its cave when it can’t overpower both of them at once. I actually find this inconsistency quite hilarious and entertaining; it reminds me of an old-school Super Sentai Villain.
The bromance moments are enjoyable, though I don’t think the flashbacks to their shared island memories were really necessary; they’ve only known each other for maybe two nights. The film almost implies a spiritual connection, which feels a bit much. I really wish Bronson had miraculously survived, especially since his sacrifice turns out to be in vain. Not only does the creature not die, but the ending also leaves things wide open for a sequel.
ORANG IKAN premiered at Tokyo International Film Festival in a Gala Selection on 30 October 2024. It was theatrically released in Indonesia on 11 July 2025.
Shudder acquired the film for release in North America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. ORANG IKAN, under its English title “MONSTER ISLAND,” was made available on Shudder on 25 July.
