August 24, 2026
Ever since her childhood, Jo (H.E.R.) enjoyed telling stories about Philippine mythology as told to her by her Lola Fatima (Dolly de Leon). While teachers did not like these gory tales, there was one classmate who shared her interest -- Raissa (Liza Soberano), who soon became her best and only true friend. They marked their friendship with a string bracelet on which they would attach charms to commemorate various events in their lives.
Jo and Raissa grew up together as practically sisters. However, one day after high school graduation, Raissa had to say goodbye as she had been accepted into Caltech for college. During her despedida party, Jo convinced Raissa to go out with her to the beach for one last night together. There, Jo saw a glowing item in the water, and realized it was same mystical sand dollar which brought them into the legendary island of Nakali.
I knew this film had Filipino characters and was about Philippine mythology, but it really surprised me that practically the whole film took place here in the Philippines. There was a lot of Filipino words and phrases scattered all over the script. We see jeepneys on the streets, karaoke singing and lechon at the party. A notable recurring design element was the yellow sun of the Philippine flag (they showed the whole flag as well to be sure).
The film is scored by Fil-Am composer Nathan Matthew David based on 1980s to 1990s pop and hip-hop beats. Aside from chestnuts like "Don't You (Forget About Me)" to "Don't Stop Believing," the musical soundtrack also gave us Francis M's "Mga Kababayan" as covered by P-pop icons SB19. The 1988 #7 hit song by INXS "Never Take Us Apart," which fit right into the film's theme of lasting friendship, was played in two versions -- the original, and a gorgeously-stylized remix cover by Katseye member Sophia Laforteza.
The creatures Jo and Raissa meet in Nakali were based on Filipino mythology. Most were voiced by Filipino or Fil-Am talents: Manang the manananggal by Lea Salonga, Bungi the tiyanak by Manny Jacinto, the head kapre by Jo Koy. The rest include the were-aspin Raww by Dave Franco, the agoraphobic Batibat by Jenny Slate, the vain Mermahn by Kevin McCann and don't-call-him-cute duwende King Truffle Wuffle by Ronnie Chieng.
The animation art styles used here are very modern and eclectic. The designs for the mythological monsters were quite original and dynamic, particularly Manang. Japanese anime styles heavily influenced the artwork, with the exaggerated way they expressed shock or sadness. Nostalgic pop culture references to the 1980s and 1990s abound, but there were also current pop references, like the one from recent box-office hit "The Odyssey."
"Forgotten Island" is written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and is produced by Mark Swift, the Oscar-nominated team behind "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" (2023). It was fascinating and heart-warming to watch a Dreamwork film that was so Philippine-centric that it felt like a Filipino film. There is no doubt that it will click with Filipino audiences, I just hope the international audience will also take our culture to heart. 9/10
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