Last updated on August 2nd, 2025 at 03:57 am
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
After being torpedoed by allied submarines, a Japanese soldier and a British POW are stranded on a deserted island and soon discover that they’re being hunted by a ferocious mythological creature, the Orang Ikan.
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Also known as Orang Ikan.
Filmed at Wiluan’s Infinite Studios in Batam, Indonesia, one of the largest production service facilities in Southeast Asia and just a ferry ride from Singapore, before moving into the jungles of Java.
Director Mike Wiluan said the following: “I grew up on a steady diet of horror movies which ranged from the supernatural to monster flicks. One of my childhood favorites was the classic 1954 monster movie, ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon.’ During the pandemic I came across ‘Hell in the Pacific,’ a 1968 war film about a Japanese soldier and an American serviceman marooned on an island trying to kill each other off. This was the lightbulb moment for me – what if an Orang Ikan had come ashore in that scenario? In order to survive, the two mortal enemies would have to team up to battle this terrifying beast! What an exciting premise!” Adding… “’Orang Ikan’ is an origin story with a horror survival theme set in the context of a realistic tragedy during the Second World War in Asia. Using both studio settings and the wonderful wild landscapes of Indonesia- I am excited to capture both the tension, horror and beauty of this concept in various exotic locations.”
According to director Mike Wiluan, “rather than create a monster to merely kill without purpose, the Orang Ikan has a motive.”
The creature’s suit was reportedly designed by Hollywood’s acclaimed Special Effects Creator Allan Holt (Jurassic World, Underworld: Blood Wars).
Directed by Mike Wiluan (Buffalo Boys, Motel Melati), who was quoted saying: “Orang Ikan is a creature horror that draws its inspiration from the early monster films such as Jack Arnold’s 1954 Creature from the Black Lagoon combined with a popular Malay Folklore and actual reports of sightings by Japanese occupying forces in East Indonesia during the war. Orang Ikan is an Asian interpretation of the creature theme set during the tragic real life occurrences of WW2. Aside from the horror, the film accentuates the theme of brotherhood and humanity against devastating reality of survival. This particular theme was inspired by John Boorman’s 1968 classic Hell in the Pacific.”
This is a WWII-set action creature feature.
SC Films International released Orang Ikan in Cinemas in Indonesia on July 11, 2025.
Monster Island premiered on Shudder on July 25, 2025.
Director: Mike Wiluan