Being stranded on a desert island is an idea that’s existed practically as long as stories have. We’ve seen it in Cast Away, Lord of the Flies, even Swiss Family Robinson, all with varying degrees of success and retained sanity. This time, Netflix is bringing their own take on the genre to the table, with the upcoming mystery thriller The Sand Castle, which has just received its first trailer ahead of its premiere on the streamer this week.
The Arabic language film follows a small family who find themselves stranded on an idyllic island that hides a terrible secret. Trying to keep the truth from their youngest daughter, jana, parents Yasmine and Nabil slowly begin to crack, and as the family faces mounting tension and countless disappointments, the bonds tying them to each other are forced to their breaking point — and maybe even beyond.
The Sand Castle stars Nadine Labiki, Zain Al Rafeea, Ziad Bakri, and Riman Al Rafeea, and is directed by Emmy nominee Matty Brown, with a script co-written by Brown, Yasmina Kharaja, and Hend Fakhroo. Labiki previously starred with her on-screen children in the Academy Award-nominated Capernaum in 2018, and the film also features sound design by Academy Award winner Martín Hernandéz, as well as editing from Nacho Ruis Capillas, and original music from West Dylan Thordson.
The Sand Castle is one of a number of original horror and thriller projects Netflix has on the docket for 2025. Their lineup also includes the Japanese language revenge thriller Demon City, as well as the next film in the Fear Street saga, Prom Queen, and director Guillermo del Toro’s highly-anticipated take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
The Sand Castle premieres on Netflix on January 24. Check out the new trailer below:
