A warm, funny coming-of-age fantasy that uses a wild body-metaphor to capture the chaos of puberty, mother-daughter tension, and identity. It’s especially strong if you like heartfelt animation that balances big emotions with playful comedy and cultural specificity.
Turning Red
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Animation · Family
Thu · 1h 40m
Director: Domee Shi
Starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse
Overview
Thirteen-year-old Mei is experiencing the awkwardness of being a teenager with a twist – when she gets too excited, she transforms into a giant red panda.
Director
Domee Shi
Cast
Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, funny coming-of-age fantasy that uses a wild body-metaphor to capture the chaos of puberty, mother-daughter tension, and identity. It’s especially strong if you like heartfelt animation that balances big emotions with playful comedy and cultural specificity.
Best for
coming-of-age stories
family viewing with older kids and teens
viewers who like emotional animation
mother-daughter dramas
puberty and identity themes
fans of energetic, joke-dense comedy
Skip if
you want a plot-driven fantasy with high stakes
you dislike stories centered on adolescence
you prefer subtler, less expressive animation
you’re looking for adult-oriented humor or edge
Overview
Turning Red is one of Pixar’s most emotionally direct movies, and that’s its biggest strength. It takes the embarrassment, intensity, and self-consciousness of being 13 and turns it into a bright, funny fantasy about a girl literally becoming too much to contain. The result is playful on the surface, but very specific about shame, desire, friendship, and the pressure to be “good.”
Worth noting
The movie is also unusually alive in its details: the family dynamics feel lived-in, the teen friendships are affectionate and messy, and the visual style leans into exaggeration in a way that suits the story. It’s less interested in grand adventure than in the small humiliations and private joys that define adolescence.
Bottom line
What makes it resonate most is how clearly it understands that growing up can feel monstrous before it feels liberating. It’s not just a kid’s movie about a magical transformation; it’s a story about learning how to make room for yourself without disappearing into other people’s expectations.
Top Letterboxd reviews
james💫 (3★) · 23458 likes
miriam talking about boys while wearing that gay ass outfit… give it a few years girlie
👽 Zara 👽 (4.5★) · 14654 likes
really appreciate how it captures the essence of being 13 and your mum discovering your cringey anime inspired fanart
Framesofnick (3.5★) · 9296 likes
PERIODS? IN MY DISNEY MOVIE????? THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!
rory🚶♀️ · 8057 likes
why are they called 4 town if there’s five of them
🐻 Bear (3★) · 7583 likes
I suppose you could classify this as a “period piece”
Themes
puberty, mother-daughter relationship, coming of age, identity, friendship, family expectations, shame and embarrassment, self-acceptance
Topics
coming-of-age, family comedy, body transformation, teen angst, mother-daughter conflict, female friendship, puberty, animated fantasy, cultural specificity, heartfelt