# Forgotten Island review: frenetic animation sidelines friendship and emotional depth

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/forgotten-island-review-best-friends-forever-trapped-in-frantic-dreamworks-animation/
- Published: 2026-09-24T18:21:55+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-25T00:42:51+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/24/forgotten-island-review-best-friends-forever-trapped-in-soulless-animation-dreamworks
- Topics: Culture, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- A visually frantic adventure that sidelines emotional depth.
- Its central friendship struggles to feel convincing.
- Released in the UK on 16 October.

## Summary

The Guardian’s review of DreamWorks’ *Forgotten Island* is sharply critical, arguing that its relentless pace and heavily controlled animation overwhelm the story’s central friendship. The reviewer says the film imitates aspects of Japanese anime without its character depth or quietness, leaving the adventure feeling emotionally hollow.

Set in the Philippines during the 1990s, the film follows lonely teenagers Jo (voiced by HER) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), whose friendship is strained when Raissa leaves for university in the US. After falling through a portal to the mystical island of Nakali, they awaken with no memory of what happened and encounter a shapeshifting dog, a memory demon and other supernatural figures while trying to escape. The film is released in Australia on 17 September, the US on 25 September and the UK on 16 October.

## Coverage

- [The Guardian: Forgotten Island review: frenetic animation sidelines friendship and emotional depth](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/24/forgotten-island-review-best-friends-forever-trapped-in-soulless-animation-dreamworks)
- [Variety: ‘Forgotten Island’ Review: A Delightful Animated Celebration of Friendship and Filipino Culture](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/forgotten-island-review-1236874557/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.