What’s better than witnessing the sheer magic of Filipino folklore unfold before your eyes? Doing it all over again, but with your soul sister by your side.
Photo: Forgotten Island/Instagram
Some friends aren’t meant to hold your hand through every phase of life’s growing pains. Others are simply benchmarks of growth—gentle nudges towards separate paths of self-discovery whose presence still lingers in flashbacks and dormant group chats. And then you have your rocks. Your twin flames. Your constants who wouldn’t trade your relationship for the world, core memories and canon events be damned.
Just like Raissa and Jo from Forgotten Island, DreamWorks Animation’s fantastical frenzy of Filipino excellence with a universal purpose.
What’s not to love about a feel-good film that wears Pinoy pride like a badge of honor? From last year’s first glimpses and cast reveals to recent trailers and scene drops, Filipinos have showered Forgotten Island with all-out praise for its heartfelt odes to our history, culture, and coming-of-age barkada dynamics that are making waves at home, across Hollywood, and beyond. Whether it’s through fan edits, theories, or even memes that’ve reeled in thousands of likes by the minute, it’s almost as if we’re collectively saying, “Finally. A labor of love that gives our voices the light of day at full brightness.”
Set against the unabashed vibrance of the ‘90s—beaming with aspirations, or as we say, nagliliyab at umaapaw sa pangarap—Raissa and Jo’s unshakeable bond becomes our compass to a spectacular showcase of Filipino identities and lived experiences, encouraging us to keep our memories closer to our hearts than they already are.
Filipino stories have always been destined to thrive on global stages, and Forgotten Island makes that point clear as day. Here’s how it thoughtfully depicts our identities through a universe that’s best traversed when we stick together:
An Unlikely Pair Navigating Age-old Obstacles
Only once in a blue moon do we see a gifted achiever who bears the brunt of academic pressure form a lasting friendship with the school troublemaker who probably frequents the guidance office more than her actual classroom. But Raissa and Jo make it work, flaws and all, as their perspectives collide in an adventure beyond their wildest dreams.
Liza Soberano shines as Raissa, a headstrong voice of reason and the missing puzzle piece to H.E.R.’s unapologetic, devil-may-care Jo. They complete one another, having been joined at the hip since childhood, which makes it particularly heartbreaking to watch their friendship crack when Raissa plans to pursue college in the U.S.
Forgotten Island does a remarkable job fleshing out the complexities of Filipino friendships when distance, time, and change are against them. This hits different for Jo, who learns the hard way that the precious moments she shares with Raissa won’t stay the same forever. Like Jo, we all want our besties to soar high, but we’d be amiss to ignore the pain that comes with it, more so when we’re left to forge our own paths without them.
Otherworldly Reflections of Humanity
Unique personalities make Forgotten Island’s mythical creatures one of the movie’s strongest suits. More than a refresher in Filipino folklore that you’ll typically find in an Araling Panlipunan textbook, you’ll find comfort and companionship in every local of Nakali who befriends Raissa and Jo throughout their stay.
This is why you’re bound to be enamored with the magical realm of Nakali. With characters who mirror our lifestyle, humor, and family traditions, we can’t help but wonder if the mythical dimension exists in real life, too, and we just aren’t looking hard enough for the sun dollar that’ll take us there.
It won’t take long before you’ll want to be instant buddies with Raww the weredog (James Franco), a literal party animal and trusted island guide to Raissa and Jo. And who could turn down a shopping spree at Nakali’s Kakaiba Market with the iyaking tiyanak, Bungi (Manny Jacinto)? You can even ask Prince Merman (Kevin McCann), the flamboyant sireno, for tips to achieve a face card that never declines. Kapre Datu (Jo Koy) will help you host a concert-worthy karaoke session, and if you’re lucky, you might score a self-defense lesson with the “small but terrible” duwende, King Truffle Wuffle (Ronny Chieng). If Raissa and Jo can find a ragtag family in them, who are we to say they’re nothing but vicious monsters who prey on humans?
These proud mainstays of Filipino folklore make Nakali less of a danger zone and more of a second home. Though Raissa and Jo have lives outside the island, they’ll always find their way back there and to each other, even with Manang (Lea Salonga), the ruthless manananggal, on the prowl.
Memories to Live By
Forgotten Island is pure chaos in the funnest way imaginable. It moves at a rapid-fire pace with an all-you-can-eat buffet of jokes, a flurry of epic chases and fight scenes, and random song-and-dance numbers to keep the vibes flowing. It barely lets you catch your breath, save for its earnest takeaways on the memories that make us human.
Filipinos are sentimental by nature. We bring cameras to every hangout, stuff our wallets with bus tickets, adorn our bags and desks with state-of-the-art anik-aniks, and preserve our receipts before they fade. All because we’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to the memories we’ve attached to them, which keep us going when life stretches us too thin.
We’re no different from Raissa and Jo, who color one another’s lives with keepsakes, from matching charm bracelets to Jo’s signature knock-off sneakers. Our formative years share multiple similarities with theirs—kuwentuhan sessions with our nurturing lolas, extravagant family get-togethers, watching the sunset in a jeepney, and life updates that are music to the resident Marites’ ears. But these anecdotes become ours to treasure once we remember who we spent them with.
Even Nakali’s residents believe memories are priceless, which explains our penchant for collecting them through the creative avenues we know best.
Bayanihan and Pagkakaisa at Their Finest
In the spirit of togetherness, we can’t hype up Forgotten Island without applauding the exceptional talents who brought the film to fruition. If they’ve already achieved so much individually, their collaborative efforts for the film give us many more reasons to tune in.
After the success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, critically acclaimed writers and directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado have been on a mission to make history with Forgotten Island. They crafted a masterpiece with their Filipino friends and families in mind, paying homage to the values of perseverance and authenticity that’ve brought them closer than ever.
Thanks to Liza, H.E.R., Lea, Manny, and every Filipino star who contributed to the film, we reckon Forgotten Island will fulfill its purpose of championing the country’s identities (in their loudest and proudest forms, at that) in no time. A diverse soundtrack featuring the movie’s cast, BINI, SB19, KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza, and many more Filipino trailblazers in the international music scene makes this extraordinary rollercoaster ride worth every second.
Forgotten Island premieres this September 23, 2026, in cinemas nationwide. Tayo na sa sinehan!
ALSO READ: LOOK: Jollibee Launches Limited-Edition Charm Bracelet Inspired by the Film “Forgotten Island”
Are you excited to watch Forgotten Island this month? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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