‘The Isle’, directed by Matthew Butler-Hart, makes the most of its idyllic setting, even if the movie itself is altogether unexceptional.

A supernatural force in Scotland

The film opens with flashes of a merchant ship sinking somewhere off the coast of Scotland in 1846. We are then introduced to the three sole survivors of the wreck as they find refuge on a remote and mysterious island. They are taken in by a farmer — played by Game of Thrones’ Conleth Hill — who, alongside the island’s other residents, seems to be hiding something. From there, it becomes clear there is some supernatural force at haunting the island, presenting itself in the form of a ghost-like siren. Throughout the movie, we come to learn about this entity and, more importantly, how it came to be.

A true independent film (budget)

Though The Isle features some truly stunning scenery, it otherwise struggles in fighting the limitations of low-budget production. This was to be expected. But where the film truly loses its bearings is in its lack of creativity and ambition. Once again, this may be a product of the film’s limited resources; nevertheless, writer and director Matthew Butler-Hart seems too content spinning a plain and prosaic tale that never comes close to living up to its full potential.

The importance of ambiguity

Perhaps Butler-Hart’s biggest mistake is that he doesn’t make enough use of the single greatest tool every horror director should always have at the ready: ambiguity. At its finest, ambiguity is what so effectively captivates horror audiences — the more they’re lead on, the more they want to know; the more they want to keep watching. This is also what makes horror movies scary — the only thing more terrifying than actually finding a monster under your bed is knowing that it’s there in the first place. Unfortunately, The Isle ultimately presents an inconsistent and uneven story that doesn’t do well enough to either captivate or scare those watching; a formulaic script and seemingly uninspired direction are to blame for this.

Catch this one from your couch

All in all, The Isle is far from terrible and the performances are solid enough to see the narrative through (in particular, Conleth Hill and Graham Butler give committed interpretations of otherwise bland characters); nevertheless, it never seems to venture beyond the ordinary. In the end, it feels more like an old wives’ tale than a film actually intent on keeping its audience at the edge of their seats. For that reason, it’s forgettable.

‘The Isle’ is Unrated. 96 Minutes. Opening February 8.