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Island of Lost Souls

1932

Erle C. Kenton

Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams ...

6.8

1,365

Horror. Sci-Fi. Fantasy. Adventure

Horror. Sci-Fi. Fantasy. Adventure

An obsessed scientist conducts profane experiments in evolution, eventually establishing himself as the self-styled demigod to a race of mutated, half-human abominations.

	Media	Author	Review
		Michael Sragow The New Yorker	"A tight, gruesome shocker, featuring Karl Struss's spooky cinematography and Charles Laughton's creepy portrayal of the mad vivisector Dr. Moreau"
		Ian Nathan Empire	"This may have been made (and banned) in the 1930s, but it remains a neatly disturbing horror with a definitive ending. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Keith Phipps AV Club	"'Island Of Lost Souls' is a horror film based on the premise that the divide between humanity and the animal world is one that should never be crossed, but also one that's impossible to determine."
		Variety Staff Variety	"While the action is not designed to appeal to other than the credulous, there are undoubtedly some horror sequences which are unrivaled."
		Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune	"It's a grand, hokey chiller, dripping with sex and sadism and photographed in dense, Sternbergian shadows by the great cinematographer Karl Struss."
		Alan Jones Radio Times	"The first, and best, version of HG Wells's provocative fantasy 'The Island of Dr Moreau'"
		Tom Milne Time Out	"Not a great success at the time, probably because its horror is more intellectual than graphic, this adaptation of HG Wells' The Island of Dr Moreau is nevertheless a remarkably powerful film."
		Mordaunt Hall The New York Times	"Although the attempt to horrify is not accomplished with any marked degree of subtlety, there is no denying that some of the scenes are ingenously fashioned and are, therefore, interesting."

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