Television series

Treasure Island

Name: Treasure Island
Genre: Action, Adventure
Released: 2026
Cast: David Oyelowo, Hayley Atwell, Jack Huston, Tomer Capone, Tom Sweet

Other titles called Treasure Island: the 1934 film, the 1950 film, the 1990 film.

Action

A bold retelling of *Treasure Island* that flips the script: Jim Hawkins is younger and more vulnerable, his mother Bess becomes a force to reckon with, and David Oyelowo's Long John Silver is the magnetic engine driving everything. It's adventure television with real stakes and genuine character drama woven through the sword-swinging and map-hunting. For viewers hungry for prestige action that doesn't forget to be exciting.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love swashbuckling adventure built on tense, character-driven scheming, where a sheltered kid's nerve and a cunning crew's loyalties matter as much as the sea battles.

Skip it if you want a brisk, action-heavy pirate romp, since this builds slowly, spending its early episodes on family tension before the sea takes hold.

What it asks of you: Six episodes of patient setup, so expect to settle in with the characters and let the plot's pressure accumulate rather than hurry you along.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Black Sails2014

The gold standard of pirate television: morally complex characters, stunning production design, and genuine emotional weight underneath all the derring-do. It builds to something genuinely mythic.

But Starts slow and takes a few episodes to find its footing. Also quite dark and sometimes brutally violent in ways that can feel gratuitous.

The Witcher2019

Epic scope with an ensemble cast, magic systems that feel earned, and a willingness to let characters surprise you. Henry Cavill's presence grounds it all in something real and weary.

But The timeline jumping in season one is confusing. Later seasons lose some of what made it special, and tonal whiplash between comedy and darkness can jar.

Persuasion2022

Period adventure that treats its female characters as fully realized people with agency, not ornaments. Smart dialogue and genuine chemistry between leads. Energetic filmmaking that refuses to feel stuffy.

But Only six episodes, so it ends just as you're settling in. Some viewers find the modern editing style at odds with the Regency setting.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Treasure Island

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Moonlight2016

Both examine how a young person's journey toward adulthood is shaped by mentorship and the powerful figures who see them. The transformation is internal, not external.

A film about self-discovery and transformation across three chapters of one life, shot with painterly precision. Like *Treasure Island*, it's about a young person finding themselves through connection with older men who shape their understanding of the world. Achingly beautiful and completely unsentimental.

But No plot in the conventional sense. Very slow and meditative. If you need narrative momentum and external conflict, this will feel like watching someone else's dream.

The Serpent2021

True crime presented as propulsive thriller, with Tahar Rahim absolutely magnetic as a charming predator. Handsomely shot across multiple countries and decades. Morally sharp without being preachy.

But Deeply unsettling subject matter—serial murder and exploitation. Some viewers find the glamorization of the perpetrator troubling despite the critical framing.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel2017

Costume drama that's also a razor-sharp character study and genuinely hilarious. Gilmore Girls pace with Broadway-caliber performances. Bess Hawkins would recognize this woman's drive.

But Extremely fast dialogue can be exhausting. The preciousness occasionally tips into twee, and later seasons feel less necessary.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World2003

Intelligent maritime adventure that takes its geopolitics seriously. Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany have the kind of chemistry that makes you believe their bond. Visually stunning without feeling self-conscious.

But Deliberately slow-burn. No major action sequences for stretches. Assumes some patience from viewers who want constant momentum.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World poster

Outlaw King2018

Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce, raw and unglamorous. Commitment to practical effects over spectacle makes battles feel visceral. A story about survival and reclaiming power that lands emotionally.

But The Scottish accent work is variable. Battles can be confusing to follow visually, and the pacing is uneven in the third act.

In the Heart of the Sea2015

Ron Howard's command of scale and spectacle, with Chris Hemsworth genuinely vulnerable. The frame narrative structure is clever, and the whale itself becomes a character. Surprisingly intimate for something so vast.

But Narratively complicated and sometimes muddled. The whale doesn't appear until the second half, leaving some viewers restless. Can feel overlong.

Derry Girls2018

A story about teenagers becoming themselves within a group where loyalty matters more than safety. The found family structure and the way danger brings them closer mirrors the emotional core beneath *Treasure Island*'s adventure.

A coming-of-age ensemble comedy set in 1990s Northern Ireland. It has the adventure spirit of *Treasure Island*—teenage characters making their own rules, getting in over their heads, finding belonging in chaos—but filtered through comedy and genuine warmth. Utterly alive and funny.

But The Irish slang and references require you to just absorb context rather than having it explained. If you need constant plot momentum, it meanders. Also quite fond of its own characters, which some read as indulgent.

Jodorowsky's Dune2013

Both are radical rethinkings of canonical adventure stories. *Jodorowsky's Dune* shows what happens when a visionary wrestles with inherited material and refuses to be constrained by it—the same impulse that drives this new *Treasure Island* away from Robert Louis Stevenson's safe choices.

A documentary about the Chilean surrealist's impossible 1970s attempt to film *Dune*. It's about artistic vision, ambition that exceeds resources, and the alchemy of filmmaking itself. Even though the film was never completed, watching Jodorowsky talk about it is hypnotic—you understand exactly why he matters.

But No conventional story. Static talking heads and archival footage. If you need a finished product or narrative resolution, this is a meditation on incompleteness and that can feel frustrating.