Turning Red movie review: A Gen Z coming-of-age tale that’s ticking all the right boxes

3.5/5

Story: Super-achiever Asian teenager Meiling has a rather unpleasant surprise, when an ancient family blessing (passed down over generations) has her turn into a red panda. Turns out, she can banish this inner beast forever with a ritual to be conducted on the next red moon. Problem is that the red moon coincides with the concert of her favourite boy-band. But, more importantly, she is not sure if she wants to let go of her Panda side. Can she embrace her true self and be happy?

Review: “Did the red peony bloom?” asks Ming (Sandra Oh), sensing something’s wrong, after her 13-year-old daughter Meiling (Rosalie Chiang) locks herself in the bathroom. It’s too early, she tells herself, but assures the teen there’s nothing to worry, and proceeds to whip out all the paraphernalia one would need during a period – the painkillers, vitamins, hot water bottle and pads (in all sizes and shapes). The transformation her daughter’s had, though, was different, although it came with the same ‘symptoms’ – mood swings and a rebellious streak. “I’m a gross red monster,” says Meiling in despair, referring to her transformation into a red panda.

It’s a family blessing passed down generations that she was not prepared for, and one that can be taken care of. A ritual conducted on the next red moon will allow her to get rid off the panda spirit and lock it up. Meiling, though, may not want to lose her furry side, because it’s made her a different person, one that she and her three close friends are liking, including the red hair. She’s well and truly coming into her own, out of the shadow of her overbearing mother. Which, of course, does not sit well with Ming, who has high expectations of Meiling. She definitely does not approve of her daughter traipsing off to see a boy-band in action. And when Meiling finally goes against her mother and decides to embrace the beast in her, all hell breaks loose.

Turning Red has some great voice acting, most notably by Rosalie Chang as Meiling, supported by the likes of Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Priya), Hyein Park (Abby), Ava Morse (Miriam), Tristan Allerick Chen (Tyler), Orion Lee (Jin).

When I sat to watch Turning Red, I was reminded by the resident teen to treat it as a film with a 7+ rating. “It’s a children’s film, so, don’t judge it like you would others,” I was told. But boy were we in for a surprise. This is a film for teenagers and one that they are quite likely to enjoy. The film is supposedly set 20 years ago, but is a perfect fit for the BTS-loving Gen-Z crowd. Unfortunately, Pixar has set the bar really high with some of its earlier productions, that try as it might, Turning Red will fall short. As a Pixar production, it will grab a lot of eyeballs now, but the attention may just be a little short-lived. It is, after all, yet another animated film that is steeped in a certain cultural ethos that’s alien to a large section of the audience.

Verdict: Turning Red is quite an enjoyable film. The approving giggles from my companion were testimony that this tale works for its intended audience. Music by Billie Eillish and her brother Finneas, of course, is an added bonanza.