- Forgotten Island review: A spoiler-light look at the film’s story, themes, cast, and animation.
- Core story: Jo and Raissa enter Nakali, a magical realm shaped by Filipino folklore.
- Big strength: The friendship between the leads gives the fantasy adventure emotional weight.
- Visual identity: Comic-book lines, anime influence, hand-drawn passages, and Filipino art traditions.
- Viewing note: Scary action, rude humor, language, and emotional themes may affect younger viewers.
Forgotten Island review: Story and First Impressions
Forgotten Island is an animated fantasy adventure about two best friends whose final night together becomes a journey through Nakali, an island filled with mythological creatures. Jo and Raissa have grown up sharing stories from their Filipino families, so the magical world is not simply a random destination. It represents their memories, their friendship, and the cultural stories that helped shape them.
The premise begins with a familiar coming-of-age situation. Raissa is preparing to leave the Philippines for Caltech, while Jo faces a less certain future. Their relationship is already changing before the portal appears. The fantasy adventure therefore works as an external version of a real emotional problem: how do two people stay connected when their lives begin moving in different directions?
The film’s official synopsis establishes the central cost of returning home: the friends may have to sacrifice the memories of their entire friendship. That idea gives the adventure a strong emotional hook without replacing the humor, action, or creature-based spectacle.
Video Highlights:
- A positive first reaction to the film’s emotional range and imaginative presentation.
- Discussion of Jo and Raissa as best friends facing change and separation.
- Attention to Filipino folklore, cultural texture, music, and visual experimentation.
- Praise for the balance between manic comedy, adventure, and reflective themes.
| Story Element | What It Adds | Review Take |
|---|---|---|
| Jo and Raissa | A personal friendship at the center of the adventure | The emotional anchor |
| Nakali | A magical island inspired by Filipino folklore | A strong setting with cultural identity |
| Memory stakes | A meaningful cost for finding the way home | Gives the fantasy plot urgency |
| Final night together | A believable reason for the journey to begin | Connects the ordinary and magical worlds |
Approach the film as a friendship story first and a creature adventure second. The supernatural setting has its greatest impact when it reflects what Jo and Raissa fear losing.
Friendship, Memory, and Coming of Age
The strongest part of the film is its attention to the changing friendship between Jo and Raissa. Their bond begins with shared isolation, a love of folk tales, and the feeling that they do not quite fit into the world around them. As teenagers, they remain close, but their goals no longer line up as easily.
That tension makes the story accessible even when the action becomes fantastical. Raissa’s departure is an ordinary life event, yet it carries the same emotional threat as the film’s monsters: the possibility that an important relationship may not survive change. Nakali transforms that anxiety into a literal adventure, allowing the characters to confront separation through myth and danger.
The film also considers how memories become attached to objects, places, songs, and shared experiences. This theme gives the story a reflective quality that extends beyond the usual “find the way home” structure. The question is not only whether Jo and Raissa can escape Nakali, but whether their shared history can remain meaningful as they grow older.
| Theme | How It Appears | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Friendship | Jo and Raissa must face change together | Makes the adventure emotionally grounded |
| Memory | Their shared experiences become part of the conflict | Connects fantasy stakes to real relationships |
| Growing apart | Raissa’s future and Jo’s uncertainty create pressure | Gives the leads different emotional needs |
| Found family | New companions join the journey | Expands the film’s idea of belonging |
| Isolation | Characters fear becoming burdens or being forgotten | Adds weight beneath the comedy |
Jo
- A creative, energetic friend shaped by folklore and shared memories
- Faces uncertainty as Raissa prepares to leave
- Helps carry the film’s humor and emotional vulnerability
Raissa
- Ambitious and ready to begin a new chapter
- Must balance personal opportunity with loyalty to Jo
- Represents change without being reduced to a simple rival
Raww
- A well-meaning weredog who guides the friends
- Adds physical comedy and chaotic energy
- Helps connect the human leads to Nakali’s strange communities
The film’s emotional stakes are clearest when the fantasy conflict mirrors a recognizable fear: losing touch with someone who helped define your life.
Filipino Folklore and Animation Style
Forgotten Island’s cultural identity is one of its defining features. The story draws from Filipino folklore and presents Nakali as a place where creatures from family stories can become allies, threats, or complicated figures with their own motives. This approach gives the fantasy world a sense of history rather than making it feel like a generic collection of monsters.
The feared Manananggal is particularly important to the film’s supernatural atmosphere. The character brings an unsettling horror influence into the adventure, creating sequences that can feel closer to folklore horror than conventional family animation. That tonal contrast is deliberate: Nakali can be funny, colorful, welcoming, and frightening within the same journey.
The visual language is equally varied. The film uses modern 3D animation with heavy line work and comic-book shading, while other sequences evoke hand-drawn Western animation, anime, or Filipino artistic traditions. These shifts make the island feel unstable and imaginative, as if the characters’ memories and stories are constantly changing the way the world is perceived.
| Visual Approach | Effect on the Film | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Comic-book line work | Adds graphic energy to 3D scenes | Action and expressive character moments |
| Dot shading and stylized detail | Gives images a printed, illustrated quality | Creature designs and dramatic compositions |
| 2D-inspired animation | Creates a softer, storybook feeling | Folklore and memory-focused passages |
| Anime influence | Increases intensity and emotional exaggeration | High-energy action and reactions |
| Filipino art references | Strengthens the film’s cultural setting | Mythic imagery and world-building |
The soundscape supports the same mixture of influences. Indigenous instruments appear alongside synths, drum-driven arrangements, and songs associated with an ’80s and ’90s-inspired mood. The result is intentionally busy, but it reinforces the film’s interest in memory, nostalgia, and the way different generations pass stories forward.
Nakali includes frightening creatures, scary action, brief violence, rude humor, language, and emotionally intense material. Younger children may find some folklore sequences unsettling even though the film is animated.
Cast, Humor, and Audience Appeal
The vocal performances help the central friendship feel lived-in. Liza Soberano voices Raissa, while H.E.R. voices Jo. Their performances need to handle playful banter, emotional conflict, fear, and moments of wonder. The relationship works because the leads are not defined only by their roles in the adventure; they feel like friends with years of shared history.
Dave Franco voices Raww, the island guide whose weredog identity brings an absurd edge to the group. His character fits the film’s broader preference for comedy that can suddenly move into danger or tenderness. Lea Salonga voices the Manananggal, adding a distinctive theatrical presence to one of Nakali’s most unsettling figures.
The supporting cast includes Jenny Slate, Joe Koy, Ronnie Chieng, Manny Jacinto, and others. The ensemble gives the island a lively sense of community, while the leads keep the story focused on the emotional cost of their journey.
| Viewing Group | Likely Appeal | Possible Concern |
|---|---|---|
| Older children | Monsters, jokes, bright action, and magical exploration | Some creatures and scenes may be scary |
| Teen viewers | Friendship conflict, identity, humor, and coming-of-age themes | The emotional intensity may feel heavier than expected |
| Adults | Cultural detail, memory themes, and layered storytelling | Fast pacing can become overwhelming |
| Animation fans | Mixed visual styles and expressive creature design | Frequent tonal shifts may not suit every viewer |
The humor is often energetic and self-aware, but the film is not simply a comedy vehicle. Its jokes support character relationships, release tension, or highlight the strange rules of Nakali. At times, the rapid movement from one joke or set piece to another may feel crowded. Still, the emotional commitment of the performances helps the movie regain focus.
Forgotten Island is best suited to viewers who enjoy animated films with comedy, fantasy adventure, cultural folklore, and serious themes about friendship. It may be less suitable for very young children who are sensitive to frightening imagery.
How to Watch Forgotten Island Thoughtfully
A good way to approach the film is to track how ordinary memories become part of the fantasy world. Rather than treating every creature or location as separate spectacle, notice how Nakali connects to the stories Jo and Raissa heard while growing up. The island’s meaning becomes clearer when viewed as a place shaped by inherited folklore and personal experience.
The film also rewards attention to its changes in style and sound. A sequence may shift from polished 3D animation to a flatter illustrated look, or from modern orchestration to music with stronger nostalgic influences. These transitions are part of the movie’s identity rather than simple decoration.
Meet the Friendship Before the Fantasy
Focus on how Jo and Raissa first connect, what stories they share, and why their final night together matters. This establishes the emotional foundation before the portal opens.
Track What Nakali Represents
Pay attention to creatures, objects, and locations linked to memory, family stories, or belonging. The island is both an adventure setting and a reflection of the friends’ fears.
Notice the Tonal Shifts
Compare the comedy, horror-tinged folklore, emotional scenes, and kinetic action. The contrast explains why the film can feel playful and intense within the same sequence.
Follow the Memory Stakes
Keep the central cost in mind: returning home may require Jo and Raissa to give up memories of their friendship. This makes each decision more significant.
Reflect on the Ending’s Themes
Consider how the film treats growing apart, found family, cultural inheritance, and the objects that preserve shared experiences.
Spoiler-Light Viewing Checklist:
- Understand why Jo and Raissa’s final night together matters
- Watch for Filipino folklore references throughout Nakali
- Notice changes between 3D, 2D-inspired, anime, and comic-book styles
- Track how memory affects the characters’ choices
- Consider whether the film’s scares are suitable for younger viewers
| Viewing Focus | Question to Consider | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Friendship | What changes between Jo and Raissa before the adventure? | Clarifies the main conflict |
| Folklore | Which creatures feel connected to family storytelling? | Highlights the cultural foundation |
| Animation | When does the visual style change? | Shows how form supports mood |
| Music | Which sounds suggest memory or nostalgia? | Adds context to the film’s atmosphere |
| Stakes | What could the characters lose besides their way home? | Reveals the emotional core |
For additional ratings context and the published synopsis, consult the Forgotten Island page on Rotten Tomatoes. The page lists the film as an animated adventure, comedy, fantasy, and family production with a PG rating for thematic elements, rude humor, language, brief tobacco imagery, scary action, and some violence.
Give the film room to be busy and emotionally expressive. Its visual changes, folklore influences, and rapid tonal movement are central to the experience rather than distractions from it.
Forgotten Island Review FAQ
Q: What is Forgotten Island about?
Forgotten Island follows best friends Jo and Raissa after a mysterious portal transports them to Nakali, a magical island filled with creatures from Filipino folklore. They must find a way home while facing the possibility of losing their shared memories.
Q: Is Forgotten Island suitable for young children?
The film is animated and includes comedy, but it also features scary action, folklore-based creatures, rude humor, language, brief tobacco imagery, some violence, and emotional themes. Parents may want to consider a child’s sensitivity to frightening scenes.
Q: What makes the animation in Forgotten Island distinctive?
The film combines polished 3D animation with comic-book line work, dot shading, anime-inspired energy, hand-drawn Western animation influences, and Filipino artistic references. Its visual style changes with the tone and setting.
Q: Who voices the main characters?
Liza Soberano voices Raissa and H.E.R. voices Jo. Dave Franco voices Raww, the well-meaning weredog guide, while Lea Salonga voices the frightening Manananggal.
Forgotten Island is a colorful and emotionally ambitious animated adventure. Its familiar coming-of-age foundation gains personality through Filipino folklore, expressive animation, and a sincere focus on friendship, memory, and change.