Coconuts, white sandy beaches and water all around … We all dream of a picture perfect tropical island holiday. Somewhere we can relax and enjoy cocktails on a beach with tropical waters to explore that are full of vibrant colour and life. Or an island full of adventure, fun and intrigue. Would being stranded on a deserted island really be that bad?
I have put together a selection of my favourite films set on tropical Islands around the world. So kick back with some tropical fruits (e.g. mangos and coconuts), relax and enjoy disappearing into a tropical paradise for a while.
My Favourite Tropical Island Films
1. Fool’s Gold
Set between Key West and the Bahamas this film is full of the fresh, childlike and relaxed vibe that we all love about tropical islands. A freshly separated (but still in love) couple are in pursuit of a lost Spanish treasure, which they believe to have sunk on board a ship known as the Aurelia. After finalising their separation, their shared love for history and treasure hunting on the sea floor is dangerously close to bringing them back together. With perfect white sandy beaches, island antics, bikinis, heiresses and treasure, this film will have you packing up your things for a tropical island escape. Maybe dapple in a little treasure hunting and diving whilst you’re there …
2. Cast Away
We’ve all pondered the question what we would do if we were stranded on a deserted island. In this film Tom Hanks plays a FedEx executive who crash lands onto an island. It shows his struggle to survive and attempts to maintain his sanity. The beautiful scenery and tropical paradise are highlighted, but weighing it up with the hardship to survive, being marooned on an island may not be as exciting as we always imagined. The film will take you on a rollercoaster of emotion from laughter to tears and will leave you wanting to start it all over again. Filmed in Fiji you can now go and visit “Cast Away” island which is a great place for snorkelling and relaxing. You may not have a “Wilson” moment but you can pretend …
3. Into the Blue
The simple island life of the Bahamas: diving, snorkelling, treasure hunting and beautiful beaches; this is the life of the two lead characters, Jared and Sam, a young couple in love who make the most of everyday. Struggling to make ends meet, the two are still against anything that isn’t wholesome and true. They discover a large haul of drugs on the ocean floor with their friends who want to profiteer on the discovery and everything naturally hits the fan. Their relaxing island life turns into one epic adventure and battle of survival. This flick will have you at the edge of your seat and despite the drama that entails the discovery of the illicit cargo you still wish for your own life in the Bahamas as you hope good beats evil for our heroines.
4. Blue Crush
Hawaii, surf, girls and bikinis: who could ask for more? Blue Crush is the story of a local hard-core surfer girl who is determined to make it to the big time on the professional surfing circuit. Living with her two surfer friends and baby sister, their lives revolve around the beach and local island life. Working at a grand resort, the girls lives begin to mix with the tourists and you can see the contrast between the islanders and mainlanders. With priorities changing and tension between friends at its highest, will these girls beat the struggle of supporting themselves, overcoming their fears and the hardships they’ve encountered during their childhoods? Watch and find out! P.S. If you haven’t already taken up surfing, you will at the end of this film.
5. The Beach
All travellers seek that off the beaten path destination where they can escape from the hustle and bustle of the tourist traps and really experience something new and different. When young back-packing Richard receives a mysterious map in Bangkok to a rumoured paradise island, he sets off with his two French neighbours. The adventure through Thailand is rewarded with their discovery of the true existence of the perfect beach they had heard so much about. At the beach, a small community of travellers had turned the beach into their own home and paradise. But what cost comes with paradise?
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Everyone loves Hawaii. It’s a happy place. Heartbroken composer Peter decides to go to Hawaii to get over his famous ex-girlfriend. Getting away from images of her everywhere is a task in itself. But to end up staying in the same resort as her and her new rock star boyfriend makes the getting away and getting over her all the more difficult. After meeting a gorgeous local, Peter learns about a new brighter side of life and you get to experience island life at its core. This entertaining movie will keep you happy, upbeat and will put an island vibe into your step.
7. The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is a classic romantic, adventure film from the 1980s of two young teens marooned alone on a tropical island. Here the teens form a simple island life and soon fall in love within the height of puberty and with no restrictions from the society in which they had come. With dangers of the jungle and human sacrificing natives, the two grow up, making a home and life together. There are many ups and downs and the film shows a simple life on an almost deserted island can be as wholesome as any other.
8. Surf’s Up
Tropical islands and surfing go hand in hand. Throw in a story of the competitive lifestyle of professional surfing penguin and this animated film embraces all that is island life and surfing. It follows the story of a young grommet Cody who moved away from his family and hometown Antarctica to tropical Pen Gu Island to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a pro surfer. The ambitious Cody soon learns the true meaning behind being a great surfer after meeting washed-up surf legend The Geek.
9. 50 First Dates
The story of Henry Roth – a serial womaniser preying on naive women taking their vacation in the tropical paradise: Hawaii. When Henry meets a local girl – Lucy – he hits it off with her for real and seeks a serious relationship rather than just another holiday fling. Soon he is shocked to find she has short-term memory loss when she forgets him the very next day. This exciting comedy invites you into life in Hawaii and will have you in stitches. Before long you are on your own initial steps of planning your own one day relocation to Hawaii.
10. Eat Pray Love
Have you ever considered packing up and moving to Bali? If you didn’t already you will after watching this movie. Eat Pray Love is about a woman – Liz Gilbert – who realises how unhappy she is with her life and marriage and decides to throw it all in to regain a passion and balance to her life. She buys three tickets: the first is to Rome followed by one to India. Finally, Liz ends off her year living in Bali learning how to achieve balance and happiness from Keput a traditional medicine man. The zen island life we envision of Bali is brought to life as Liz re-establishes her inner self. Will she re-establish her outer self in Bali too? Would you return to everyday life on the mainland? A comedic, eye-opening and travel-inspiring journey of self-discovery.