Disney and Pixar’s latest animated feature and Oscar-nominated Turning Red celebrates its first anniversary. The film, available on Disney+ Hotstar in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, captures the overwhelming emotions and physical changes that come with puberty, particularly for a 13-year-old girl named Mei Lee. Directed by Domee Shi, Turning Red is a brave and unapologetically female-led story with strong performances, exceptional animation, and a focus on representation. The film celebrates the rawest aspects of womanhood, from mother-daughter relationships to female friendships, and its marvellous visualizations are sure to captivate viewers. If you haven’t yet watched this beautiful movie, here are must-watch reasons to watch for anyone seeking a touching and relatable story.
The movie is unapologetic about important conversations around menstrual cycles
Turning Red fearlessly tackles the topic of puberty, including aspects that are not typically discussed openly, such as menstruation. Mei, voiced by Rosalie Chiang, transforms into a larger-than-life red panda when overwhelmed, while her mother, Ming, voiced by Sandra Oh, dotes on her. The film draws a metaphorical connection between Mei’s transformation and her period. It unapologetically delves into the nitty-gritty details of puberty, making it a refreshing and honest portrayal of adolescence.
Will leave many touched by the representation
Set in Toronto, Turning Red highlights the cultural aspects of immigrant families in Canada and smartly uses a multicultural urban setting to carry its narrative forward with the food, décor and beliefs of its immigrant characters. From Mei’s and Ming’s coiffed hair to small cameos, such as a Sikh school guard and the festive red lanterns adorning Toronto’s Chinatown, the film offers visual nuggets that Asian audiences will relate to.
All-female creative team
This is Disney and Pixar’s first film to have an all-female creative team – with a female director, producer, visual effects supervisor, and production designer among its lead creatives. Penned by Domee Shi and Julia Cho and produced by Lindsey Collins, the film’s characters have been voiced by Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Orion Lee, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Hyein Park, Wai Ching Ho, James Hong, and others.
Celebrates female friendship
Just as the film embraces the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships, it triumphantly showcases the power of female friendships made in adolescence. The film features some of the most authentic and relatable relationships between teen girls. Mei’s friends — Miriam (Ava Morse), Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), and Abby (Hyein Park) — are enthusiastically and unconditionally supportive of Mei and each other.
Turning Red is for all ages
Many may think that Turning Red is a children’s film but it is equally valuable to parents dealing with adolescent kids. This film stands out because of its vibrancy and optimism, lauding challenging moments and emotions that showcase their relatability and complexity.
~ Tune into Disney+ Hotstar to join Mei Lee and her friends in Turning Red, as they traverse the ups and downs of teenage life ~