Overview
A young girl navigates the trials of adolescence while transforming into a giant red panda at the most inconvenient moments.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- joyful
- heartwarming
- family movie night
- kids sleepover
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a heartwarming, humorous, beautifully animated, and culturally expansive Pixar coming-of-age story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mei’s involuntary red panda transformation directly parallels her emotional, bodily, and social changes at age thirteen.
Mei balances school, friendship, teenage interests, and her family’s Toronto temple business within a Chinese Canadian household.
Ming’s constant supervision and rigid expectations become the primary obstacle to Mei’s independence.
Mei physically becomes a giant red panda whenever excitement overwhelms her, turning inner turmoil into comic fantasy.
Films like Turning Red, and why
Luca
coming-of-age animation, family expectations, friendship, and emotionally expressive fantasy
Encanto
vivid animated fantasy, adolescent self-discovery, family tradition, and warm humor
Brave
female-led coming-of-age story, magical transformation, parent-child conflict, and heartfelt comedy
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
teenage identity, friendship, energetic comedy, and culturally specific family dynamics
Movie Details
- Director
- Domee Shi
- Release Date
- 2022-03-10
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (6056)
Cast
- Rosalie Chiang
- Sandra Oh
- Ava Morse
- Hyein Park
- Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
- Orion Lee
- Wai Ching Ho
- Tristan Allerick Chen
- James Hong
- Lori Tan Chinn
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Turning Red about?
- A spirited Toronto teenager discovers that embracing her unruly inner self may be the key to growing up without losing her family.
- What is Turning Red like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Turning Red as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Turning Red violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Turning Red.
- What did critics think of Turning Red?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a heartwarming, humorous, beautifully animated, and culturally expansive Pixar coming-of-age story.
- Which films are like Turning Red?
- Films with a similar feel include Luca, Encanto, Brave, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines.
- How long is Turning Red?
- Turning Red runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Turning Red?
- In United States, Turning Red streams on Disney Plus.
