Forgotten Island, 2026.
Written and Directed by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford.
Featuring the voice talents of H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Lea Salonga, Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, Amielynn Abellera, Kevin McCann, Kristin Villanueva, and Sophia Laforteza.
SYNOPSIS:
Two best friends become stranded on the mystical world of Nakali, where their only escape might cost them their shared lifetime of memories.
Steeped in Filipino mythology, writers/directors Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford have taken the familiarity of a high school graduation and adulthood alltering a bestie friendship, and imbued Forgotten Island with rich originality rooted in that representation.
The concept of such friends undergoing maturation and growth during a friendship on the precipice of being tested isn’t exactly revelatory, but setting that arc inside a hidden mystical island filled with a litany of characters, some of which are bluntly put, unlike anything ever put to screen before, animated or not, is somehow second to the already busy but stunning colorful rendering that takes a page from recent major features is its ability to blend together different styles – here, there are the occasional brief shifts to a 2-D anime influence, comic book reminiscent panelings with sound impact phrasings written into the environment, and intricately detailed character designs. And while some might pause at a film that simultaneously deploys a plethora of animation styles, much of that beauty lies in the seamless integration, which always comes across as the execution of a fully formed vision.
These filmmakers are also using such dazzling art design and animation as part of their narrative ambitions, which include a treatise on memories and the proclamation that our interactions with others, especially loved ones, including best friends, are a key ingredient and what makes us who we are. Maybe there are some out there who don’t want to admit it for one reason or another, but our successes, failures, good, flaws, and other traits are sometimes directly linked to others. Without them, it is reasonable to suggest that some might entirely lose a sense of who they are.
Set in the 1990s, Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) have been friends ever since elementary school detention (voiced as children by Amielynn Abellera and Sophia Laforteza), with the former an extroverted bundle of chaotic energy gradually pushing the introverted, aerospace-fascinated dork (a compliment) into an endless stream of zany adventures typically ending with slapping another commemorative charm on their friendship bracelets. From making mix tapes to experimenting with rockets and more, all while usually slamming energy drinks and spicy cheeto-like snacks, they have been there for one another, including during the death of Jo’s warm and inviting grandmother (voiced by Dolly de Leon), who was also an informative fixture in Raissa’s upbringing and a reprieve from more her strict and demanding parents focused less on letting her have fun and more on high expectations.
Yes, this is depicted as taking a page out of Pixar’s Up playbook, tackling that sadness. However, this is a film that doesn’t reveal its full hand until the third-act finale, diving through memories; it would be a disservice to spoil any more, but it is both undeniably imaginative and emotionally powerful (unquestionably elevated by the strong performances from the leads and counterpart voice actors for the younger years selling such a convincing friendship), as if it were an animated take on Inception. It’s the rare film that uses this structure and somehow ends on a more touching, moving note than its tear-jerking prologue.
As for the bulk of Forgotten Island, it involves Jo and Raissa discovering that the former’s grandmother’s stories of a magical island were true, and inadvertently discovering and entering a portal on the night before the latter is set to board a plane to America the next morning to study at Caltech. The decision certainly comes under pressure from her parents, but alas, it is also clear that there is some general friction in this friendship, given that Raissa has a bright educational future, whereas Jo, as she puts it, is the face of a local fast-food chain (a slight exaggeration). It is something for sure, but her life is clearly stalling as she enters adulthood, as is the case in many live-action comedies operating under this template.
However, they wake up in the morning after what must have been quite an exciting day of partying on the island – considering that characters have tattoos and Raissa somehow had half of her head shaved, the early comparisons to a kid-friendly The Hangover amusingly track – having also lost the magical token that opens the portal home. So begins a comedic and eventual action-packed quest to piece together memories from that night, with help from the magical and mythological characters they encounter, ranging from a were-aspin named Raww (voiced by Dave Franco, whose neurotic energy simply fits animation) and more that, quite frankly, shouldn’t be spoiled considering how fresh and strange they are. What can be said is that they range from beings collecting memories to vampire-like demons and riffs on mermen to a truly bizarre, childlike companion parting ways with his mother for the first time to join this adventure down memory lane.
To stress the point, a case can easily be made for why Forgotten Island wouldn’t work in an American setting; it would open itself up to the same mythology and fantastical concepts seen 100 times over (although it is worth noting that they got an Odyssey homage in here, as I’m assuming is obligatory for all Universal movies this year). That is not to say that diversity is the only factor this film has going for it, but rather that Forgotten Island draws on the culture and pours an overwhelming amount of wonder and heart into the proceedings, while also embracing a myriad of animation styles. Yes, it’s familiar, but the Filipino flourishes among the peril, irreverent humor, reverence for memory, and a sincere portrait of friendship and flux ensure this won’t be forgotten
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
