While scrolling through Disney+ this weekend, I came across the Pixar movie Turning Red and was incredibly impressed with the accuracy of how it portrayed being in your early teens. The movie was actually released sometime this March; yet, there was little to no hype about the film at the time that prompted me to watch it. However, having watched the movie, it’s safe to say that Turning Red is a criminally underrated coming-of-age movie and a must-watch for teenagers.

Turning Red centers around Mei Lee, an overachiever in school who must manage her social life with her overprotective mother. She accidentally develops a curse from working at her family’s ancient temple and turns into a red panda whenever she feels intense emotion. Mei therefore needs to control her emotions, which is incredibly difficult for a teen especially, and she must find a way to turn back to normal before her favorite boy band’s concert. Sounds like a mess? That’s because it truly is. The movie sometimes even feels like a cluttered 13-year-old’s bedroom—chaotic, raw, and fast-paced. You feel caught up in the plot and—if you went through an awkward phase in middle school—can see yourself in Mei during her embarrassing moments.

Turning Red also reflects many parts of a typical first-generation Asian teenager’s life: the overprotective, “tiger” mother, the obsessions with crushes and boy bands, and the expectations of being a perfect student in school. These were all parts of her life that I almost got deja vu from in my life. For instance, Mei’s mother not allowing her to attend her dream concert when all of her other friends were allowed to go struck a little too close to home. Or even her mother making her stay home on a Friday night to study extra hard for an upcoming test. 

       Another thing I appreciated was that there was no true villain; every character had a backstory, or somehow found a way to redeem themselves through humorous acts, which made watching the movie a more positive experience.

Many TV shows and movies, specifically the ones put out by Netflix, portray Generation Z adolescents as phone-addicted, drama-obsessed abusers of the word “literally” and “OMG”. Cough, cough, shows like Never Have I Ever and Ginny and Georgia. While some of these traits are accurate -to an extent- the way in which the teen characters act is too oversaturated and feels out-of-touch with the current generation. Turning Red does an excellent job in portraying tweens as actual adolescents. The dialogue and actions of the characters feel authentic and extremely relatable. 

What I also love about the movie is that it’s very unique in its aesthetics. The animation style is often similar to that of anime, with over-exaggerated features, dramatic character reactions, and the “uwu” eyes. It’s rare for Pixar to animate their characters in such an anime-style. 

Overall, the film is extremely underrated and goes in my Top 10 Coming-of-Age Movies for its authenticity, feel-good vibe, and unique plotline. Turning Red is a great representation of Chinese culture and exploration of growing pains—literally.