DreamWorks has a brand new animated movie heading to UK cinemas this October and after getting the chance to watch Forgotten Island early, I can safely say this is one I would definitely recommend.
Forgotten Island is released in UK cinemas on 16th October 2026. The movie has a PG certificate and a runtime of approximately 1 hour and 49 minutes.
I genuinely really enjoyed this movie. It’s hilarious, feel good, visually gorgeous and underneath all of the adventure there is a really lovely story about friendship, growing up and holding onto the memories that matter.
What is Forgotten Island about?
Forgotten Island follows childhood best friends Jo and Raissa, who have grown up together in the Philippines but are reaching the point where their lives are about to take them in different directions.
During one of their final adventures together, they end up transported to the mysterious island of Nakali, a fantastical world filled with magical creatures inspired by Filipino mythology.
They soon discover that getting home isn’t going to be quite as simple as they hoped. Even worse, the longer they remain on the island, the more their memories begin to disappear, including memories of their friendship.
I won’t go too far into the story because I think this is definitely one of those movies that is better when you don’t know absolutely everything beforehand.
The animation in Forgotten Island is absolutely beautiful
One of my favourite things about Forgotten Island has to be the animation style.
I LOVE this type of animation.
If you’ve watched Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, you’ll probably understand exactly what I mean.
It has that mixed media, painterly animation style where it almost feels like you’re watching a comic book come to life on screen. You have 3D animation mixed with more traditional looking 2D details, textures and graphic lines, and I just think it makes the whole movie so much more interesting to look at.
It also makes sense that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish immediately came to mind because Forgotten Island is written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, who also worked on that movie.
This is honestly one of my favourite animation styles and I really hope we keep seeing more animated movies made this way.
Filipino culture is at the heart of Forgotten Island
Another thing I really loved was seeing Filipino characters and Filipino culture right at the centre of a major animated movie.
I genuinely don’t think I’ve personally watched another big animated movie where Filipino characters and culture have been featured this heavily.
The story takes inspiration from Filipino mythology, but there are also lots of smaller cultural references throughout the movie.
Even seeing karaoke included made me smile because every Filipino person I know has told me just how big karaoke is in the Philippines.
And then there’s Lola.
I always hear my Filipino friends talking about their Lola, which means grandmother, and the Lola in Forgotten Island is so cute. She’s funny, strong and wise, and I can imagine there will be plenty of people watching who see parts of their own Lola in her.
I’m sure there are also lots of references throughout the movie that completely went over my head but will mean something to Filipino audiences watching.
It was just really nice seeing Filipino culture given this much attention in a major DreamWorks movie.
Is Forgotten Island scary for children?
Forgotten Island has a PG certificate, but there are definitely some moments that younger or more sensitive children could find scary.
The main villain is actually creepy as hell. I’m not even going to lie to you.
My 10 year old actually turned to me during the movie and said, “Mum, she is really, really creepy.”
And I had to agree.
It didn’t make any difference to how much either of us enjoyed the movie, but it is definitely something I would consider if you’re planning on taking younger children who tend to struggle with creepy characters or darker scenes.
There is still plenty of comedy and fun throughout the movie, but I wouldn’t automatically assume that because it’s animated there aren’t going to be a few scary moments.
The message behind Forgotten Island
Underneath all of the comedy, adventure and crazy creatures, Forgotten Island has a really lovely message.
At its heart, it’s a story about friendship, memories and what happens when you grow up and your lives begin moving in different directions.
Friendships change. People move away. Life happens. But the memories you’ve created together still become part of who you are.
And yes, somehow the movie also reminded me that I really need to start printing my photos again.
I’m constantly taking photos. Literally constantly. But I hardly ever actually print them anymore.
Years ago I used to regularly get my photos printed and put them into albums, but now everything just sits on my phone or in cloud storage.
We rely so heavily on digital copies now, so this is your reminder, and mine, to actually print some of those memories too.
Anyway, I digress.
Is Forgotten Island worth watching?
I thought Forgotten Island was fantastic.
It’s funny, imaginative, colourful and has such a distinctive animation style that immediately made it stand out to me.
I loved seeing Filipino culture represented throughout the story and I think the movie does a really good job of balancing all of the fantasy and comedy with a genuinely sweet message about friendship, growing up and appreciating the memories we make along the way.
There are a few potentially scary moments for younger children, particularly involving the main villain, but overall I think this is a really enjoyable family movie.
I would definitely recommend adding Forgotten Island to your October cinema list.
Forgotten Island UK release date, age rating and runtime
Forgotten Island is released in UK cinemas on 16th October 2026.
UK release date: 16th October 2026
Age rating: PG
Runtime: Approximately 1 hour 49 minutes
If you’re planning a trip to the cinema but don’t fancy paying full price, I also have a full guide sharing ways to save money on UK cinema tickets, including discounts and offers that can make family cinema trips much cheaper.
Do you have plans to watch Forgotten Island when it arrives in UK cinemas?
