The Ending Of Fantasy Island Explained
Blumhouse is known for producing successful horror films such as Insidious, The Purge, and Paranormal Activity, so when Fantasy Island came out in 2020, horror fans were probably psyched. Derived from Gene Levitt's popular TV series Fantasy Island, the movie centers around a group of individuals who receive the rare opportunity to live out their wildest fantasies on a mysterious island with a resort. As the saying goes, "Some things are too good to be true." And that is exactly the underlying premise of this movie.
Wanting to recreate a moment in time or turn a desire into reality is everyone's dream, and this movie portrays what people will do to get that chance. After winning a contest, Gwen Olsen (Maggie Q), Patrick Sullivan (Austin Stowell), Melanie Cole (Lucy Hale), and stepbrothers JD Weaver (Ryan Hansen) and Brax Weaver (Jimmy O. Yang) decide to take that chance and go to the island resort, which is run by Mr. Roarke (Michael Peña). Each has the opportunity to live out their deepest, darkest fantasies, seemingly without a catch. However, the island takes a turn, revealing its "true" self and what lies beneath the surface. While the movie didn't receive the reviews Blumhouse wanted, per Rotten Tomatoes, the ending holds information for what's to come and how the movie views humanity's devious thoughts.
The fate of the characters' fantasies
The whole fantasy portion of this movie is a pipe dream, and things take a turn for the worst when the characters' so-called fantasies turn into living nightmares. While several characters die as they try to live out their fantasies, one character in particular, Melanie, gets almost exactly what she came for. Melanie is unhinged, and after a while, it's obvious she's there to exact heinous revenge fantasies based on an obsessive crush she once had on her neighbor Nick Taylor (Evan Evagora), who died in an accidental fire.
Melanie is reunited with her crush, but not in the way she thought she would be. Patrick, who wants to see his deceased father, eventually sacrifices his life by lying on a grenade, which is exactly how his father died in a war battle. This particular death is poetic yet extremely tragic. The only characters that ultimately flee the cursed island are Gwen, JD, and Sloane, with a few cuts, sacrifices, and bruises in tow.
Fantasy Island depicts a dark side of humanity
Each of the characters has a reason for being on the island. Melanie turns out to be the surprising villain in this movie, and even though her plan is to take out everyone who has wronged her, the motive behind her actions is quite sad. She was severely bullied in the past, so her mental state is damaged. She saves her bully Sloane (Portia Doubleday), just so she can receive an apology from her.
While Patrick wants to see his father again, when his father appears in front of him on the island, he doesn't seem to remember Patrick. Gwen wants to relive a past relationship she ended years ago, but it's quickly revealed that this isn't her "true" fantasy. Instead, she wishes to turn back the time on her involvement in Nick's death in the fire.
One of the biggest mysteries of all is Mr. Roarke, who only stays on the island to be with his deceased wife, Julia (Parisa Fitz-Henley). As long as he does what the island wants, he'll be able to live out his fantasy forever. Unfortunately, this fantasy ends when he lets the survivors go, and Julia moves on to the afterlife. All of the main characters' fantasies are filled with regret and loss, but in the end, it's Melanie who controls the overall fantasy so she can exact revenge for her neighbor's death.
What's next for Fantasy Island?
Currently, there has been no mention of a sequel, but there is a shred of hope that there might be something brewing over at Blumhouse at this very moment. For one, Brax and JD's fates might connect with what happens next. Brax and JD come to the island to live out a fantasy that includes parties, cannabis, fun, and lots of men and women. Unfortunately, JD dies during his fantasy, which makes the ending of this movie even more surprising.
At the end of Fantasy Island, Brax stays behind with Mr. Roarke to assist with the island so he can use his fantasy to bring back his brother JD. While this is a selfless move on Brax's part, viewers who have seen the original TV series will recognize a small detail from the final scene. Brax reveals a chest tattoo that says "Tattoo," which he chalks up to a college mistake. Fans will know that this was the name of a character on the TV series, which might be a clue that another movie is on the way.