Starring H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, the animated film follows two best friends navigating growing up, growing apart, and a mythical island rooted in Filipino stories.
At its core, Forgotten Island begins with something familiar: the quiet tension of two best friends about to go their separate ways.
Jo and Raissa, voiced by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, are fresh out of high school and facing different futures. The film is set in the 1990s, which matters more than it seems. There are no phones to keep people connected, no easy way to check in once life moves on. When a friendship shifts, it really shifts.
On their last night together, what starts as something simple—junk food, karaoke, hanging out—turns into something else entirely. They stumble into a portal that leads them to Nakali, a hidden island shaped by Filipino folklore.
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A world built from stories many Filipinos grew up with
Nakali isn’t just a fantasy setting. It pulls directly from the kind of stories many Filipinos heard growing up—about creatures that lived in the dark, in trees, or just out of sight.
The film introduces a mix of characters, including Raww, a weredog voiced by Dave Franco, and the Manananggal, voiced by Lea Salonga. The latter is one of the most recognizable figures in local folklore, and here it’s positioned as a central threat.
What stands out is how these elements are used. The creatures aren’t just there for spectacle. They’re tied to the emotional stakes of the story, which stay grounded in Jo and Raissa’s relationship.
The real conflict isn’t the island
The bigger tension in Forgotten Island isn’t just escaping Nakali. It’s what the characters are willing to lose to leave.
At some point in their journey, Jo and Raissa learn that returning home could cost them their memories of each other. It’s a straightforward idea, but it lands because it reflects something real. People don’t always stay in each other’s lives, and sometimes the loss isn’t dramatic. It’s gradual. It’s forgetting.
The film leans into that, using the fantasy setup to talk about something more grounded: how friendships change, and what it takes to hold on to them.
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A film shaped by both personal and cultural context
The project comes from directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, who based the story partly on their own long-term friendship. That perspective shows in how the film handles its themes. It’s less about big declarations and more about small, specific moments.
There’s also a clear effort to keep the Filipino elements intact. Characters speak some Tagalog, references feel local, and the setting draws from actual experiences and research in the Philippines. It doesn’t try to over-explain itself for a global audience, which works in its favor. For viewers who grew up with these stories, there’s a level of familiarity. For others, it’s an introduction that still feels accessible.
A cast that reflects the story’s mix of influences
Alongside H.E.R. and Soberano, the film features a mix of Filipino and international voices, including Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Jenny Slate, and Ronny Chieng.
It’s a lineup that mirrors the film itself—rooted in the Philippines, shaped by a wider, international lens.
Filipino folklore has always been rich, but it hasn’t often been given this kind of scale in mainstream animation. With Filipino culture placed clearly at the center of a global animated release, there’s a lot to take interest in here. At the same time, it’s still early, and how it all comes together will depend on how the film balances representation with storytelling.
For now, it feels like a step in the right direction and one worth paying attention to.
Forgotten Island opens in Philippine cinemas on September 23, with distribution handled by Universal Pictures.
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