Forgotten Island (2026)
Forgotten Island Review: DreamWorks Delivers a Candy-Colored Triumph of Filipino Folklore
Forgotten Island is that rare animated film that feels genuinely unlike anything else in the studio pipeline—a vibrant, deeply personal love letter to Filipino mythology and adolescent friendship that also happens to be one of DreamWorks Animation’s finest achievements in years. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the duo behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, this 2026 fantasy comedy takes a simple premise—two best friends get lost in a magical world—and spins it into something rich, strange, and unexpectedly moving.
The numbers tell a story of critical triumph and commercial disappointment. On Rotten Tomatoes, Forgotten Island holds a remarkable 95% critics score based on 130 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10, and a consensus that reads: “A candy-colored ode to friendship and Filipino folklore, Forgotten Island bursts at the seams with imagination while never losing sight of the compelling relationship at its core.” Metacritic assigned a 74 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable” reviews, and CinemaScore audiences gave it an A. Yet against an $80 million budget, the film managed only $63 million worldwide—a significant underperformance that has prompted speculation about its future despite the critical adoration.
Critics have been effusive in their praise. Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com awarded it three and a half out of four stars, writing that “the movie is so imaginative, energetic, and sincere that it should be fun for just about everyone.” Matt Goldberg of TheWrap gave it three and a half out of five, noting that “with influences ranging from The Hangover to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the DreamWorks animated feature is admirably ambitious.” CBR called it “a joyful noise” that “brings Filipino folklore to life,” while The Outside Scoop declared it “one of DreamWorks’ best movies.” The film also received a five-minute standing ovation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, a testament to its reception among animation professionals.
What sets Forgotten Island apart is its commitment to specificity. The film is set in the Philippines in the 1990s, features a primarily Filipino and Filipino-American voice cast, and draws on mythological creatures like the manananggal, the tiyanak, the batibat, and the kapre—figures rarely seen in mainstream animation. The animation style shifts between contemporary CGI and anime-influenced 2D sequences, the latter animated by Manila-based studio Snipple Animation, a deliberate homage to the history of Filipino artists working in outsourced anime production. Composer Nathan Matthew David travelled throughout the Philippines, recording indigenous instruments and the bamboo organ of Las Piñas, while Lea Salonga contributes vocals to the score. This is not a film that treats Filipino culture as exotic decoration; it is a film built from the inside out, and that authenticity radiates from every frame.
Forgotten Island Cast: H.E.R. and Liza Soberano Lead a Landmark Ensemble
The film assembles one of the most significant Filipino and Filipino-American voice casts in animation history:
H.E.R. makes her animated feature debut as Jo Yuson, a rowdy, rebellious comic-book artist whose fear of abandonment drives much of the film’s emotional conflict. The Grammy-winning musician was the directors’ first choice for the role, having impressed them with her “cool” persona and her bubbly enthusiasm when discussing Filipino food. Liza Soberano voices Raissa Molina, Jo’s ambitious best friend whose decision to attend Caltech sets the story in motion. Soberano originally auditioned for the role of Jo but was invited back for Raissa, and some of her audition lines made it into the final film.
Dave Franco brings warmth and comic timing to Raww, a centuries-old were-aspin (were-dog) who becomes the girls’ guide through Nakali. Manny Jacinto voices Bungi, a large tiyanak baby demon, while Jenny Slate is Batiba, a memory-stealing batibat whose arc forms the emotional heart of the film’s climax. Lea Salonga, the legendary Filipino singer and actress, delivers a formidable performance as Manang, the dreaded manananggal, while also contributing vocals to the film’s soundtrack. Dolly de Leon brings gravitas to Lola Fatima, Jo’s folklore-knowing grandmother, and Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, and Kevin McCann round out the ensemble as Datu, Truffle Wuffle, and Mermahn, respectively. The film also features cameos from Harvey GuillĂ©n, Wagner Moura, and Sophia Laforteza of Katseye.
Forgotten Island Plot: A Friendship Tested Across Two Worlds
The story begins in the Philippines in the 1990s, where young Jo Yuson presents a class report on the island of Nakali—a name derived from “nakalimutan,” the Tagalog word for “forgotten”—and the dreaded manananggal. When her classmate Reynaldo mocks her, Jo attacks him and is sent to the principal’s office, where she meets Raissa Molina, another student who had defended her. Jo invites Raissa to a sleepover with her grandmother, Fatima, who tells them stories of her own travels to Nakali. The girls become fast friends, making matching charm bracelets to commemorate the significant moments in their friendship.
Years later, after graduating high school in 1996, Raissa reveals that she is attending Caltech in the United States, devastating Jo, who is struggling to make ends meet working at a fast-food restaurant. At Raissa’s farewell party, Jo overhears Raissa’s mother expressing disapproval of their friendship. The girls sneak out to the beach, where Jo discovers a magical sand dollar that serves as a portal to Nakali. Despite Raissa’s hesitation, they enter together and wake the next morning with no memory of the previous night. Raissa discovers half her head has been shaved and that she has grown wings belonging to Manang, a manananggal who attacks them. They escape with help from Batiba, a batibat who offers to send them home in exchange for their bracelets and the memories attached to them.
The girls refuse and flee with Raww, a were-aspin who claims to have spent the previous night with them and becomes their guide. At a market, the trio meets Bungi, a tiyanak who tells them that the “Jewel of the Sea” they seek was stolen by a duwende king. Their search leads them to Mermahn, a kataw who claims the sand dollar is in his kingdom. Feeling excluded, Raww lashes out until Jo reassures him and shares her fear of being abandoned by Raissa. Following Raww’s suggestion, Jo takes them to Kapre Village, where they learn that they had previously saved the villagers from Manang, after which Raissa stole her wings. Manang attacks again, separating Bungi from the group.
The group learns that Mermahn lied about the sand dollar, while Raww reveals that he works for Batiba, who is actually a demon. He admits that he lured Jo and Raissa to Batiba the previous night, after which they relinquished their memories of their time in Nakali. Batiba recaptures them and restores their memories, revealing that Jo, afraid of losing Raissa, had hidden the sand dollar after Batiba gave it to them to prevent them from returning home. Furious, Raissa reveals that she herself disapproves of Jo and leaves to retrieve the sand dollar, ending their friendship. Manang attacks Raissa and reclaims her wings, but Raissa informs her that Batiba has stolen from her. Jo then reveals that she offered Batiba her memories of their friendship in exchange for saving Raissa.
Raissa is sent back to the Philippines while Jo stays behind. Back on the beach, a remorseful Raissa adds a leftover firecracker to her bracelet, sending her back to Nakali. Reconciling with Raww, she enters Jo’s fading memories and admits how much their friendship shaped who she is, reconciling with her. Manang arrives, and Jo and Raissa, aided by Raww, Bungi, and Mermahn, attempt to fight her, but Batiba, finally understanding the value of memories, willingly returns Manang’s stolen memories, causing Manang to become docile. Jo finally accepts Raissa’s decision to attend college overseas, and the girls head home while Batiba finally goes outside. A few years later, Jo visits Raissa at Caltech to promote a book she has published based on their adventures, and the two use their bracelets to reopen the portal so they can visit Nakali once more.
“Some friendships are worth remembering.”
