Islands was Balagtas' first-ever leading role in a feature film; his only prior acting experience was in the 2019 short film Piece of Mind. In his review of the film, Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail praised Balagtas's performance, writing that Joshua’s richness as a character, though, may have delivered less of an impact if not for Balagtas. With just a short film to his name prior to joining Islands, the Winnipeg actor delivers an honest, stripped-down performance so real that it seems lifted from a documentary
Of course, the actor’s virtual anonymity helps, but there is a deliberate, professional control to Balagtas’ work here that bears the hallmark of a gifted actor.