Story

Life-long friends Jo (voice of H.E.R.) and Raissa (voice of Liza Soberano) have always been there for each other. They’ve been partners in crime, challenging stereotypes and the status quo, and they’ve been each other’s cheerleaders and strongest supporters. They’ve been through the most challenging times and, despite it all, their friendship has never faltered. But everything is about to change.

Raissa is moving to the United States to attend Caltech and Jo, who isn’t going to college, is staying in the Philippines. On their last night together, they discover a legendary portal, which transports them to Nakali, a mystical island full of amazing and terrifying creatures from Filipino folklore.

Stranded on the island, Jo and Raissa must confront dangers far greater than anything they’ve ever imagined. With the help of a were-dog named Raww (voice of Dave Franco), they battle the terrifying Manananggal (voice of Lea Salonga) and face the island’s darkest mysteries – among them, their own secrets, which test their friendship and threaten to break it apart. The girls must find a way through the island’s magical trials while escaping the murderous Manananggal, regain their stolen memories, and confront the possibility that leaving will cause them to forget each other and the bond they share.

With their friendship slowly slipping away, can Jo and Raissa find the courage to fight not only for their freedom, but for the memories that have made them who they are?

Themes

Fear of change and separation; jealousy; vengeance; betrayal; sacrifice; loss and grief

Violence

Forgotten Island has some violence. For example:

• As a young child, Jo tells a terrifying story to her class. The story features monsters and graphic visuals. She’s about to pour what appears to be blood on the students in the front row, but her teacher stops her before she can do it.
• Jo grabs and strangles a new boy.
• The girls accidentally drive a bus down the street, and it crashes on a beach.
• Jo’s grandmother threatens a lady in a wheelchair, who calls her a witch, telling her to ‘Mind your business or I will break your other leg’. She then tells the girls, ‘She will die one day’.
• Jo and Raissa explode a character on stage. When the head blasts apart, the shocked audience is splattered with red liquid.
• Two cars crash. The girls dismantle a car, and Raissa builds a rocket, which then explodes.
• Jo tells children at a party a story about Nakali and how a baby’s crib was empty and all that was left was blood.
• Jo slaps Raww with her foot, and he falls into a tree.
• Raww is punched, slapped and hit.
• Manananggal chases Raissa and tries to take the wings on her back. She kills a bird and splatters its blood across Raissa’s face.
• Manananggal kicks a hole in a cave floor as the girls hide in terror.
• A character kicks Raww in ‘the nards’.
• Manananggal is reputed to burn creatures alive.
• Raww brushes himself in the head with a coconut.
• A knife is thrown at a character.
• Swords and arrows are thrown at Jo and Raissa.
• A creepy, ghostly zombie attacks Raissa and kicks her face.
• Someone says that a character was disembowelled by a psychotic vampire.
• Raww is pulled by vines towards a cave.
• A bird crushes a vampire.
• Manananggal chases Raissa and Jo and shoots bombs at them.
• Wild vines snatch at Jo, Raissa and Raww.
• Raissa catapults a sleeping potion into Manananggal’s cave and then steals her wings.
• Manananggal says, ‘When humans are torn apart, they don’t go back together’.
• Raissa is fire-bombed in the sky, and Manananggal tears the wings off Raissa.
• Electrical wires try to grab and entrap Raissa.
• A character stabs Manananggal with a trident.
• Raww kicks Manananggal in the throat, and another character blasts her back with his magical force.
• A character describes how they will ‘feast on their corpses and bathe in their blood’.

Sexual references

Forgotten Island has some sexual references. For example:

• A character with a large, bare chest is looking for his nipple ring, which Jo is wearing like a crown.
• A character claims that ‘a vampire came onto me’.
• Talking about Manananggal, a character says, ‘I always thought she was hot’.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Forgotten Island shows some use of substances. For example:

• Characters consume energy drinks.
• Characters use or consume potions from bottles.

Nudity and sexual activity

Forgotten Island has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:

• A baby is shown on the toilet with a bare bottom.
• A character dances and gyrates over a radio. The camera angle is low to the ground, looking upwards towards her crotch.
• The girls watch the birth of a child, but nothing explicit is shown. The mystical creature that is born says that he doesn’t want to have his umbilical cord cut.
• Jo has burned buns from a bad case of ‘fire-rhea’.
• A character has a bare chest, except for starfish stuck to his nipples.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Forgotten Island:

• a short snippet from the movie Predator.
• Flaming Cheetos
• The Game of Life.

Coarse language

Forgotten Island has some coarse language, including ‘dumb’, ‘crazy’, ‘witch’, ‘loser’, ‘stupid’, ‘nerds’, ‘liar’, ‘idiot’, ‘hella scary’, ‘son of a b …’ and ‘screw it’.

The movie also has some crude humour. For example, Raww scratches his bottom on the ground, and a character says, ‘A friend pukey fire on my tushy and burned my buns’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Forgotten Island is an imaginative, animated fantasy adventure with emotional themes, suspenseful moments and some frightening creatures. This means it’s not appropriate for very young viewers and is best suited to children aged over 11 years.

These are the main messages from Forgotten Island:

• True friendship can give us strength even when we’re frightened, uncertain or facing a difficult change.
• Memories make you who you are and create bonds that can never be forgotten.

Values in Forgotten Island that you could reinforce with your children include friendship, loyalty, courage, trust, acceptance and forgiveness.

Forgotten Island could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like the following:

• Comparing ourselves with others or holding onto jealousy can damage friendships and relationships.
• Acting out of anger or a desire for vengeance can hurt others and create further conflict.
• Breaking someone’s trust can have lasting consequences and make relationships difficult to repair.
• Allowing fear to control our choices can hold us back, but facing challenges with courage and seeking help from others can lead to positive outcomes.