Filmmaking duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado follow up on their beloved, Oscar-nominated hit Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) with yet another game-changing feature for DreamWorks Animation. Forgotten Island (2026) almost feels like a miracle of a film given the current state of Western animation. The directors continue to expand on their vibrant, painterly animation style introduced in their Puss in Boots sequel, but this time with various 2D anime influences that perfectly accentuate this particular story. It’s a narrative that achieves broad accessibility through precise cultural specificity, which other competing Western animation studios are sadly moving away from. On paper, Forgotten Island would be deemed too risky by others. In execution, though, it proves the opposite.
Written and directed by Crawford and Mercado, Forgotten Island is set in the Philippines during the 1990s and centers on the tight friendship between teenagers Jo Fatima (R&B singer-songwriter H.E.R.) and Raissa Molina (Liza Soberano). Their eccentricities and wild imaginations brought them together in their youth, setting them apart from their classmates. Ever since, their like-minded free spirits and shared fascination with Philippine folklore and mythology have kept them together. More specifically, they cherish tales of the forgotten island of Nakali that Jo’s grandmother, Lola (Dolly de Leon), passed down to them as kids.
Knowing When to Let Someone Go…
After graduating high school, Raissa accepts a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study rocket science at Caltech in the United States, without Jo knowing. Whereas Raissa has always been perceived as a brilliant overachiever, Jo has been looked down on as a troubled slacker. Hence why Raissa’s parents see Jo as the anchor holding their daughter back. This conflict challenges the two girls to imagine a future apart, which in turn summons a magical portal on the night before Raissa’s flight to America. After being sucked into the mythical world of Nakali, they realize this could be their last day together because returning home requires them to sacrifice all their memories of each other, symbolized by their charm-filled friendship bracelets.
What’s most impressive about Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado’s script is how it balances sophistication and maturity with high-energy humor. The next morning, the girls wake up on the beaches of Nakali, realizing they may have had the best night of their lives but can’t remember a single thing. So they embark on a Hangover-esque adventure, retracing their steps to open the portal back home before Raissa’s flight, with the suspicious yet hilarious were-aspin Raww (Dave Franco) as their guide. The jokes fly fast, with plenty of comedic setup for later, but not at the expense of the story’s precious stakes.
The two girls have finally reached this magical place they have always dreamed of. However, Raissa, burdened by family pressure and anxiety, can only look forward to leaving and to her future beyond. Jo’s mind, by contrast, is stuck in the present, perhaps as an act of rebellion against her best friend’s willingness to let go.
Raissa and Jo are Beautifully Complex Protagonists
Partially inspired by their own long-lasting friendship, directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado explore Raissa and Jo’s relationship with great nuance. The filmmakers have even cited two real-life Filipina women as inspirations for the characters: Crawford’s wife Kathy and Januel’s sister, also named Jo. As such, Forgotten Island is their most personal project yet, and their attention to detail bleeds through the screen from start to finish. The ‘90s setting makes way for plenty of jokes and gags that feel like extensions of their charming personalities, including fun music nods/needledrops, niche cultural references, and costume choices. Each of these decisions further flesh out Raissa and Jo’s friendship, making their lively dynamics and shared interests feel incredibly sincere.
Most importantly, Forgotten Island doesn’t shy away from exploring its two protagonists’ human flaws and insecurities. It’s a huge breath of fresh air to see an animated film, at least one made in Hollywood, that is actively interested in portraying the frustrating and sometimes unbearable sides of friendship. Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankenstein) and 5x Grammy winner H.E.R. (who also won an Oscar in 2021 for her original song for Judas and the Black Messiah) bring their characters to life with such honesty that you’ll keep rethinking who is more right or wrong as the plot progresses. The duo captures the messiness of true friendship, leading to multiple tear-jerking moments that are genuinely earned rather than manipulated for the audience.
No Character is Left Underwritten in ‘Forgotten Island’
Forgotten Island is just as laugh-out-loud funny as previous DreamWorks classics, thanks largely to its stacked ensemble voice cast. Dave Franco (Idiots) has received tons of attention for his effortlessly quotable were-dog, but he’s not the only comedic standout. Manny Jacinto (The Acolyte) voices Bungi, a large Tiyanak baby demon; Kevin McCann voices Mermahn, the handsome aquatic Prince of the Kataw people; and comedian Ronny Chieng voices the adorably mean King Truffle Wuffle of the duwende. Additionally, Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes on) stars as Batiba, while Filipino icon Lea Salonga stars as the dreaded Manananggal, two powerful demons who create different obstacles on the girls’ journey home.
If there’s any place where Forgotten Island could have easily stumbled, it’s in juggling this packed cast of colorful characters. As the story unfolds, more creatures and aspects of Philippine mythology are introduced. While these supporting characters may seem purely comedic or antagonistic on the surface, they are still granted their own flaws and insecurities, feeding into the film’s complex themes of friendship. We learn that many characters in the story are hiding their own secrets. They don’t lie out of malice, though. They lie out of the fear of losing love and companionship. Franco’s Raww especially shines here, serving as both hilariously zany comic relief and a key part of the film’s beating heart.
Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado Continue to Raise the Bar for DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation is well into an ongoing revitalization era. With animated movies like the aforementioned Puss in Boots sequel, The Bad Guys franchise, The Wild Robot (2024), and even Dog Man (2025), the studio has been willing to break away from their foundational 3D animation styles for something more stylish and impressionistic. Forgotten Island continues this trend by infusing 2D anime elements into the very fabric of its visual storytelling — not just for a few segments. On top of continuing to play with expressive, paint-like animation, it’s exciting to see the animators pay homage to recognizable anime like Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon. Again, it’s not a cheap gimmick, but an extension of the characters.
Every time filmmakers Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado break the mold to showcase their characters as larger-than-life, either through their eccentric sense of humor or 2D anime inspirations, they only feel more relatable and human. Forgotten Island is many things. It’s a gorgeous tribute to Filipino culture, which highlights Filipino talent behind the scenes, like composer Nathan Matthew David and his thrilling score. It’s a powerful story about everlasting unity that will definitely leave a deep impression on a female audience. However, the movie’s representation is inclusive rather than being exclusive.
You don’t need to be from these specific backgrounds to take something away from it; this is a story for anyone with empathy who has felt the fear of growing distant from someone close. In a time when other studios are shying away from making something so culturally and experientially unique due to fear of alienating general audiences, Forgotten Island proves that showcasing diversity leads to universal emotions and a stronger response from viewers. This is one of DreamWorks’ finest animated pictures to date, and one you will likely never forget, no matter your age.
★ ★ ★ ★ ½
‘Forgotten Island’ hits theaters on September 25!
Release Date: September 25, 2026.
Directed by Joel Crawford & Januel Mercado.
Written by Joel Crawford & Januel Mercado.
Produced by Mark Swift.
Voice Cast: Liza Soberano, H.E.R., Dave Franco, Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Lea Salonga, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, Kevin McCann, Amielynn Abellera, Januel Mercado, & Nico Santos.
Composer: Nathan Matthew David.
Editor: James Ryan.
Production Company: DreamWorks Animation.
Distributor: Universal.
Runtime: 108 minutes.
Rated PG.
