Review: Forgotten Island is an unforgettable adventure, and a bright bit of big-screen Filipino representation
On paper, Raissa (Liza Soberano) and Jo (H.E.R.) don't read as the likeliest of friends. Raissa is studious, smart, dedicated. She's a "rocket," destined for great things, a big life full of impressive accomplishments. Jo, on the other hand, is an agent of chaos. She's full of schemes, but has no plans for her life. We first meet our heroes when they're kids in elementary school. Jo is the new girl, giving a family history project that turns into a treatise on the folkloric manananggal, a vampire-like creature that can split its body in two. The class's teacher is, understandably, flabbergasted: how is this monster related to family history? Jo tells the class that her lola (Dolly de Leon) once saw the manananggal when she traveled to the magical island of Nakali, and since Jo is being raised by her lola, that makes this presentation relevant to the assignment. The presentation is also Jo's ticket to the principal's office, for being so graphic and...
