by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
I’ve always had a soft spot for animation. More years than not, at least a couple of animated features find their way onto my top 10 list. So, I’m setting out to shine a light on some films that may have passed you by. The idea is to take a look at some underseen gems—so no Toy Story or Frozen here.
Let’s get started.
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After my failure to satisfy my craving ahead of Moana’s release, I wanted to make an effort to tie something into the obviously important sense of place of the upcoming Forgotten Island.
If I’m honest, I didn’t even realize that it was set in the Philippines based off the trailer, but after doing what every internet researcher does to start, and taking a quick trip down the “Philippine Animation” Wikipedia article, I just went with the most popular entry when you search by country on Letterboxd and filter by the animation genre (aided by the fact that it was easily viewable on Netflix). The result? The Missing.
Though they haven’t quite hit the mainstream with a household hit, chances are you’ve likely seen something that a Filipino animation studio has had a hand in, and they’ve had a slowly growing role in the industry over the last handful of decades. The Missing in and of itself was a step forward in recognition of the country’s work. The film was the first animated feature film submitted by the Philippines for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards and won Best Animated Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Much like I’ve discovered in other countries’ animation, though it’s a medium we more closely identify with kids’ movies in America, this one is a little more adult. From writer-director Carl Joseph E. Papa, the film follows a mouthless protagonist, whose life gets more complicated when an alien comes to take him and complicates his life and drags up hazy memories of his past. Our main character is also gay. It’s a film that’s got some big topics in its crosshairs. I found a quote from Papa that highlighted why that would be the case for him, “A filmmaker should always be attached to his films. Personally, I make films about what I know, what I have been through. I don’t see myself doing a film that is outside my own politics.” Just taking a look through his filmography, there’s always a topic of importance he’s looking to explore, and that adds depth to the viewing experience. Here, Papa uses the guise of a twisty, sci-fi thriller here to explore the idea of trauma, memory and how the two are intertwined.
Aside from the deeper themes the film is exploring, I just found the main character, Eric, interesting. The character not having a mouth just makes for striking design, then having to have him communicate via text or sign language is a tactic used effectively here (particularly when it’s given context in movie). Also, I just found having him work in animation is fun, particularly given that Papa himself is a software engineer when he’s not making movies.
The film utilizes a rotoscope style, which allows for an interesting use of shading and lighting throughout. The fact that the flashbacks are done in a simpler style and are literally incomplete (though that eventually makes its way into the “real world” too) is my favorite creative flourish. However, the Close Encounters of the Third Kind-reminiscent score in those moments is also a nice touch. Though it’s not the most polished of efforts there are fun little touches throughout, like the use of speed lines, that always gives the viewer something new to explore.
I’m glad I’ve now gotten exposure to a new region’s animation that I probably would never have come across if I wasn’t writing this series, and if Netflix (or another streamer happens to pick up Papa’s newest release, 58th, I’ll definitely give it a try.
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I’m excited to continue to geek out on some great, animated works you may not have had a chance to catch. Next month, I’m excited for the release of Wildwood and am determined to find a release I can get into and unlock Claymation for myself.
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Bluesky and Letterboxd