Rachel Rudd, News Editor

Pixar’s “Turning Red” tells the story of Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year old Chinese-Canadian girl who, due to a family curse, transforms into a giant red panda whenever she expresses a strong emotion. Set in beautifully rendered Toronto, Canada in 2002, it delves into Mei’s relationship with her family and friends, exploring her journey of self-discovery and growing up.

This film, while presenting a unique metaphor for puberty, truly stands out because it shows a real depiction of a teenage girl entering adolescence. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie that portrays it in such a real and natural way. Mei stinks, she’s emotional and she and her mother have a conversation about getting one’s first period. It’s easy for anyone who’s gone through that situation, or who is currently going through it, to relate to.

This film is gorgeously animated. While it mostly uses traditional 3D animation, at times it draws on a more anime-like style to push expressions and heighten comedic moments. Toronto has a gorgeous color scheme of greens, blues, beiges and pinks, while the junior high school is saturated with murky grays and greens. With a movie called “Turning Red”, the color red is masterfully employed to heighten emotions and bring contrast into what otherwise would be dull scenes.

The soundtrack to “Turning Red” is phenomenal as well. The film combines Chinese music, including a traditional Cantonese chant, with early 2000’s music and blends them beautifully. Sibling duo Billie Eilish and FINNEAS wrote three original songs and while I am not a fan of early 2000’s style music, even I found myself bopping along to these songs throughout the movie. 

The story is both hilarious and grounded. It’s a relatively simple tale about Mei and her friends raising money to go see 4*Town, a VERY early 2000’s boy band. They use Mei’s panda form to raise the funds, where students pay money to get pictures with the panda or to get panda merch. However, Mei is keeping all of this a secret from her overbearing mother, who thinks she hasn’t been letting the panda out and is still her “perfect little daughter”. 

“Turning Red” presents a story not only about puberty and the awkwardness of growing up, but is also a beautiful metaphor for expressing and processing one’s emotions in a healthy fashion. Whereas the other members of Mei’s family had to simply bottle their strong emotions up until the panda spirit could be banished, Mei learns to lean on her friends for support and let the panda out. She learns to sit with her emotions and actively communicate with her family, sending a powerful message about vulnerability and mental health.

“Turning Red” is a must-watch for everyone, as it tells a relatable coming-of-age tale that I truly haven’t seen this well-portrayed in a long time. Those who are unsure about the film will most certainly be lured in by the stellar animation, wonderful soundtrack and truly hilarious comedic moments. “Turning Red” is available to stream on Disney+.

Categories: Arts & Entertainment