A group of teenagers (Robert Reed, June Kenny[sic], Gene Persson, Joan Lora) vacationing in the tropics takes a boat out to a seemingly deserted island. They soon find, however, that the island is inhabited by a wealthy recluse (Wilton Graff) and his staff. While their host is initially hospitable, he quickly reveals his true purpose: to hunt down and kill each of his visitors, as he has done with everyone unlucky enough to set foot on his island.
For tropes and specifics relating to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version, please check the episode recap.
This film contains the following tropes:
- Action Girl: Zig-zagged; Betty can flip an attacker effortlessly so long as there's a conveniently uncovered vat of acid for him to land in, but she spends just as much time acting the Damsel in Distress.
- The Alcoholic: Tony, the kids' boat pilot, gets so drunk he passes out. So the kids decide to explore the island, which kicks off the plot. Also Dean, but he's more high-functioning than he lets on. Dean drinks but apparently he greatly exaggerates his intoxication to make himself seem inept while he is waiting for a chance to escape the island.
- Chekhov's Skill: Betty's judo training. She uses this to defeat one of the thugs who mistakenly thought she was defenseless.
- Cold Sniper: Balleau's stint as a sniper not only desensitized him to killing, it inspired a lifelong interest in hunting people.
- The Dog Bites Back: Balleau's mute servant turns on him at the end for leaving him to drown in the quicksand.
- Evil All Along: Tony seems like a harmless drunk but it turns out he's been ferrying escaped convicts onto Balleau's island so he can hunt them, likely for years. His concern over the teens sailing off to the island isn't for their safety, but because it's on his head if outsiders find out what Balleau does there.
- Evil Laugh: One of Balleau's mooks gives an epic one after Betty's Suspiciously Specific Denial over a broken vase.
- Face–Heel Turn: Dirty Coward Tony acts like he wants to help the boys, but as soon as he gets both the gun and the only bullet, he abandons them. He even utters the Stock Phrase, "So Long, Suckers!"note
- Faux Affably Evil: Balleau. He might be Affably Evil but he's an extreme Smug Snake.
- Gorn:
- The shot of Balleau impaled through his throat and wrists is quite shockingly graphic, especially for being shown on TV. Or it would be if the spikes coming out of Balleau lined up horizontally,
as they did before he was impaled. - One of the mooks getting melted by acid was also pretty graphic and not seen much in films of the time.
- The shot of Balleau impaled through his throat and wrists is quite shockingly graphic, especially for being shown on TV. Or it would be if the spikes coming out of Balleau lined up horizontally,
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Balleau is impaled on the display rack he had purposed for the heroes.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: The film doesn't hide its inspiration, swiping quite a few elements in particular from the expanded 1932 film version (at the time, the most prominent and well-known version of the story).
- I Lied: Balleau decides to kill Tony after sparing him. While he technically doesn't actually lie (he says he'll give it some consideration - for less than a second), it's dickish to make Tony think Balleau seriously intended letting him live.
- Instant Leech: Just Fall in Water!: Happens to one of the teens and then to one of the henchmen. Oddly, they don't affix themselves to any exposed flesh, just to shirt-covered chest.
- Made of Iron: Balleau's henchman survives being abandoned in leech-infested quicksand, and later shrugs off multiple point-blank gunshots when killing Balleau.
- Noble Demon: Balleau thinks of himself as this, which Johnny notes is just Insane Troll Logic. Regardless, the gun Balleau gave his prey lacked a firing pin, so giving them an equal chance was bullshit anyway.
- Non-Action Guy: Pete the Nerdy Nerd
- One-Word Title
- Playing Drunk: Dean feigns being a hopeless drunk to hide his affair with Balleau's lover, and to make him seem unfit to hunt.
- Recycled Soundtrack: Tony Restaino's "The Web" has been used in several others as well, perhaps most notable in The Brain That Wouldn't Die, another film lampooned in Mystery Science Theater 3000.
- Sissy Villain: Balleau is pretty prissy; he cultivates a fussy little goatee and spends a lot of time reclining in a chintzy smoking jacket (which Mike and the Bots waste no time poking fun at). But he's still an expert hunter and total lunatic.
- Sociopathic Soldier: Balleau got over his aversion to killing while serving as a sniper in "the war".
- So Long, Suckers!: Invoked verbatim by Tony when he abandons the boys in the jungle.
- Together in Death: Balleau's adulterous wife and her lover end up Stuffed Into the Cave together.
- Verbal Tic: The characters don't seem to—...! You don't mean—...? Yes. They can't seem to complete sentences.
- Wax Museum Morgue: Balleau does this to all his victims, whether hunted or just murdered. He even brags to future victims where they'll be mounted.
- You Have Failed Me: Happens to both Balleau's primary henchman and to Tony the boat pilot who is paid by Balleau to bring him hunting victims.
