Turning Red (2022)

Turning Red is a lively, heartfelt coming-of-age animated comedy about 13-year-old Meilin “Mei” Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky teenager caught between being her mother Ming’s (voice of Sandra Oh) dutiful daughter and the messy freedom of adolescence. Whenever Mei gets too excited or stressed, she “poofs” into a giant red panda — a wild, physical manifestation of puberty, identity and family legacy that forces her to confront who she wants to be. Watching the film, you’ll get an energetic mix of laugh-out-loud comedy and tender emotion: bright, expressive animation, frantic physical humor when Mei is in panda mode, and quiet, authentic moments of mother-daughter tension and reconciliation. The soundtrack and pop-culture fandom elements give the film a nostalgic, high-energy pulse that amplifies the chaos and joy of early teen life. Overall it’s a warm, funny, and surprisingly moving portrait of growing up, full of visual spectacle and emotional truth that makes it easy for families and teens alike to relate and root for Mei.

Actors: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse

Director: Domee Shi

Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy

83 /100 7.0 /10 7.7 /10