Forgotten Island

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details of classification and consumer advice lines for Forgotten Island
• a review of Forgotten Island completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 22 September 2026.

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• themes
• use of violence
• material that may scare or disturb children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie’s message

A synopsis of the story

Life-long friends, Jo (voice of H.E.R.) and Raissa (voice of Liza Soberano), have always been there for each other. They have been partners in crime, challenging stereotypes and the status quo, and they have been each other’s cheerleaders and most powerful supporters. They have been there for each other on the darkest of days and through the most challenging times and, despite it all, their friendship never faltered. But everything is about to change. Raissa is moving to the United States to attend Caltech and Jo, who is not 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 infamous island, Jo and Raissa are forced to confront dangers far greater than anything they have 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 who is pursuing them at all costs, regain their memories that have been taken, and confront the possibility that leaving will cause them to forget each other and the bond they share. With their friendship slowly slipping away, the girls must find the courage to fight not only for their freedom, but for the memories that have made them who they are.

Fear of change and separation; Jealousy; Vengeance; Betrayal; Sacrifice; Loss and grief.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

• As a young child, Jo tells a terrifying story to her class (it is full of monsters and visual graphics). She is 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 Nekali 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 head with a coconut.
• A knife is thrown at a character.
• Swords and arrows are thrown at Jo and Raissa.
• A creepy, ghost-like zombie attacks Raissa and kicks her face.
• It is mentioned 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 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”.

Material that may scare or disturb children

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

• Raww momentarily transforms into what looks like a demon.
• A character transforms into an angry demon baby.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

• There are numerous scenes that could terrify young children. Manananggal is a vicious, evil creature, with multiple wings, and a long black body that can be sliced in half and then reconnected. She often lurks in the shadows or in the distance and then quickly and stealthily advances on her victims. She is known to kill quickly and to have no mercy. Her hands are like claws and her eyes are narrow slits that often glow in the dark. It is incredibly creepy how she will perch and cock her head from side to side while observing those she intends to kill. Manananggal is hunting Raissa and there are repeated scenes where the girls narrowly escape her.
• As a child, Jo realises that her father is never coming back for her and, despite her sadness, she tries to make the best of life with her grandmother. When her grandmother gets sick and dies, Jo is devastated and all alone except for Raissa.
• The girls lose their memories and Jo makes a deal with a demon so that Raissa will be able to get back home. She will lose all her memories in the process and Raissa, realising what is happening, tries everything she can to stop it but she is thwarted at every step until it looks like their friendship and every memory they shared will disappear.
• A creepy, glowing character tries to keep Raissa away from Jo.

• Nothing further noted.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

• A short snippet of the film Predator is shown.
• Flaming Cheetos are eaten.
• The Game of Life is mentioned.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

• A character, with a large, bare chest is looking for his nipple ring which Jo wears like a crown.
• A character claims that, “a vampire came onto me”.
• A character says, in relation to Manananggal: “I always thought she was hot.”

Nudity and sexual activity

There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:

• A baby is shown on the toilet with a bare bottom.
• A character is shown dancing over a radio as she does pelvic gyrations. The camera angle is low to the ground looking upwards towards her crotch.
• The girls watch the birth of a child, though nothing explicit is shown, and the mystical creature 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.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

• Energy drinks are consumed.
• There are potion bottles which characters use or consume.

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

• Dumb
• Crazy
• Witch
• Loser
• Stupid
• Nerds
• Liar
• Idiot
• Hella scary
• Son of a b---
• Screw it.
• Crude humour includes Raww scratching his bottom on the ground and a character saying: “A friend pukey fire on my tushy and burned my buns.”

In a nutshell

Forgotten Island is an imaginative, animated fantasy-adventure with emotional themes, suspenseful moments and some frightening creatures, making it more suitable for older children than very young viewers. It is best suited to children over the age of eleven.

The main messages from this movie are that true friendship can give us strength even when we are frightened, uncertain, or facing difficult change; and that memories make you who you are and create bonds that can never be forgotten.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• Friendship
• Loyalty
• Courage
• Trust
• Acceptance
• Forgiveness.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

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