‘Forgotten Island’ Debuts With an Amazing Rotten Tomatoes Score and DreamWorks Fans Are Cheering
DreamWorks Animation has built a reputation for turning unlikely ideas into crowd-pleasers, from talking bad guys to castaway robots. Its newest original feature takes a different kind of leap, with a story rooted in Philippine folklore and a tale of friendship that hits close to home. Now the ‘Forgotten Island’ perfect Rotten Tomatoes score is turning heads ahead of the film’s theatrical debut.
The film follows two lifelong best friends, Jo and Raissa, on their last night together before heading down separate life paths. It is an original story from directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the team behind ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’. It is also the first DreamWorks film from Crawford that isn’t a sequel to an existing franchise.
Then the reviews started rolling in. As shared by The Hollywood Handle on X on September 21, ‘Forgotten Island’ debuted with a perfect 100% Tomatometer score, based on 20 reviews at the time. The audience Popcornmeter hadn’t yet posted a score, with fewer than 50 verified ratings, and the film arrives in theaters on September 25 with a PG rating.
While celebrating their last night together, Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) stumble upon a mysterious portal. It transports them to Nakali, a fantastical island packed with magical and mythological creatures drawn from Filipino folklore. The story is set in the Philippines in the 1990s.
The catch is that their only way home might cost them the memories of their entire friendship. Along the way they team up with a well-meaning but hapless weredog named Raww (Dave Franco) and a small pack of pals. They also have to face the Dreaded Manananggal, voiced by Lea Salonga, the most feared creature on the island.
Speaking to Rotten Tomatoes’ podcast Seen on the Screen, Crawford described the film as “a story about these two lifelong friends who grew up in the Philippines.” He added that the friends are growing apart, and that the Filipino mythology backdrop is part of what makes it fun.
The Hollywood Reporter calls the film a dazzling original and praises it as a rare example of original animated storytelling in a sea of IP and sequels. Its review notes that audiences may have trouble keeping up with everything happening thematically and visually. The outlet says it all works to the film’s benefit.
ScreenRant’s review leans into the comedy, calling the film a breathless, joyful chaos in which the writing and animation are in lock-step. The critic places it in a new era of American studio animation that is kinetic, often anime-influenced, and packed with jokes condensed into single frames. ‘Spider-Verse’ comes up as an important influence on that wave.
Not every review is a blanket rave about the pace, of course, since a visual style that borders on sensory overload can divide viewers. Still, the early critical mood points to a movie that balances its fireworks with real emotion, a balance DreamWorks has worked hard to strike in recent years.
First clip from DreamWorks' ‘FORGOTTEN ISLAND’.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 14, 2026
The film follows 2 best friends trapped in a mystical world but their only way of escape is to erase all their memories of each other.
In theaters on September 25. pic.twitter.com/QWHw75nN2B
The voice cast is one of the film’s biggest talking points. Alongside H.E.R., Soberano, Franco and Salonga, it includes Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy and Ronny Chieng. DreamWorks enlisted well-known Filipino-American stars, reflecting a clear intention to represent the culture at the center of the story.
Early audience reactions, at least on Letterboxd, are equally enthusiastic. Fans there praise the animation and the film’s message about friendship, and some compare its visual style to ‘Spider-Verse’. A user reviewing the movie on Rotten Tomatoes said they were proud to see Filipino culture on the big screen while calling the theme universal.
A 100% score this early is always a snapshot, and it usually shifts as more critics weigh in. Even so, a perfect start is a strong sign for an original film opening in a market crowded with sequels and familiar brands.
‘Forgotten Island’ opens in theaters on Friday, September 25. Until then, its early reviews suggest that DreamWorks may have another crowd-pleaser on its hands, one that could leave audiences reaching for the tissues.
Will you see Forgotten Island in theaters?
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