Iguana

Year: 1988

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Director: Monte Hellman

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A grotesquely disfigured harpooner called Iguana is mistreated by his fellow sailors aboard a 19th‑century whaling ship. One night he escapes, fleeing to a remote island where he declares himself ruler and wages a personal war against mankind. Any hapless visitor who washes ashore is forced to endure his cruel and ruthless tyranny in a cruel fashion.

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Iguana (1988) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Iguana (1988), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Set at the dawn of the 19th century, Oberlus [Everett McGill], a harpooner on a whaling ship, endures constant ridicule and brutal abuse from his fellow sailors. His right half of the face is grotesquely disfigured by hummocky outgrowths, earning him the nickname Iguana. After a brutal beating, he escapes to Hood Island, an uninhabited refuge. There he is discovered by a team led by captain Gamboa [Fabio Testi], who brutalizes him and binds him for punishment, though Iguana manages to escape and hide in a cave. The ship leaves the island, and Gamboa orders that sailor [Sebastián] [Michael Madsen] be tied to a post on the coast as punishment for letting Iguana escape. Oberlus finds Sebastián and proclaims himself King of Hood Island and Sebastián his first slave, forcing him to cook his meals.

Declaring revenge upon the world, Oberlus enslaves two other sailors thrown ashore after a shipwreck. He keeps his captives in a cave with a disguised entrance. One day, a ship carrying [Carmen] [Maru Valdivielso] and her fiancé [Diego] [Fernando de Juan] moors near the island. Oberlus takes them prisoner. Oberlus kills Diego and makes Carmen his concubine. The ship’s captain, assuming Carmen and Diego to have died in the storm, does not look for them, but sails away.

One day, Oberlus notices the arrival of his former whaling ship. At night, he climbs on board, kills two sailors on the deck, takes Gamboa prisoner, and sets the ship alight, having previously locked the hull. Gamboa fights Oberlus, but is killed by him.

resigned to her fate, Carmen tells Oberlus that she is pregnant with his child. Months later, the captain of the ship Carmen and Diego arrived on, returns with a group of armed sailors. They begin their search and Oberlus has to flee to the other end of the island with pregnant Carmen and his surviving prisoners. Carmen gives birth, but Oberlus takes the child, saying that he will not allow him to suffer as he did, implying that the child is disfigured as he is. With the child in his arms, he enters the sea, intending to drown himself and the child.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:35

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Movies about isolation and tyranny like Iguana

Stories about outcasts who become monstrous rulers in their isolated domains.Explore similar movies like Iguana that feature isolated characters descending into monstrous tyranny. If you were fascinated by the brutal exploration of power and cruelty in isolation, you'll find more movies here about outcasts turned predators, ruling over their own desolate kingdoms.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a linear downward spiral. A protagonist, marked by past trauma or physical difference, escapes or is cast out into a remote locale. Free from societal constraints, they seize control, often over new arrivals, and establish a rule defined by the same abuse they endured. The story is a straightforward chronicle of their escalating tyranny, ending in utter devastation.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on a specific, dark character arc: the abused becoming the abuser. They share a bleak tone, high emotional intensity, and a steady pace that methodically builds a portrait of moral collapse within a confined, oppressive setting.

Bleak survival horror movies like Iguana

Grim tales of survival where humanity is the first casualty in a hostile environment.Find more survival horror films with a bleak and heavy tone, similar to Iguana. If you appreciated the film's unrelenting cruelty, disturbing themes, and focus on the collapse of humanity in a desperate situation, this thread showcases movies with a similarly dark and oppressive survivalist vibe.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves characters stranded or trapped in a hostile environment—be it an island, the wilderness, or a post-apocalyptic landscape. The central conflict is not just against the elements, but against the monstrous behavior that emerges from within. The story is a straight path toward despair, where acts of violence, enslavement, and dehumanization become commonplace, culminating in a profoundly hopeless conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their overwhelmingly dark and oppressive atmosphere. They share a high intensity level, heavy emotional weight, and a focus on disturbing themes such as extreme violence, imprisonment, and the loss of humanity, offering a viewing experience defined by dread and bleakness.

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Iguana

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