Pixar’s newest movie, Turning Red, had its initial release on February 21 and launched exclusively on Disney+ across the states on March 11. Directed by Domee Shi, the first woman to solo-direct a film for the company, the movie centers around the life of a Chinese family and the expectations held in the home. Following the story of a young 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl named Meilin Lee, the viewers get a close look at her responsibilities that weighed her down from being herself and enjoying her teenage years. Pressured by her mother, she drowns herself in the image of being perfect. That is until she discovers she can transform into a red panda with strong emotion. 

The main character Meilin Lee also goes by the name Mei or Mei-Mei throughout the film and is voiced by Rosalie Chiang. Her friends include Priya voiced by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Miriam voiced by Ava Morse, and Abby voiced by Hyein Park. Mei’s mother, Ming, is voiced by Sandra Oh. 

Taking in aspects from current teenage behavior and interests, Shi includes the awkward pre-puberty stage that haunts Mei along with her love for a boy band named 4-Town. Neither having the parental support nor money to go to their concert, Mei strategically finds a way for her and her friends to see the band. Using her ancestral gift to her advantage, Mei-Mei profits off photos and merchandise to raise money for the concert. While there are some scenes that most would consider “cringe-worthy,” Turning Red gives a raw and realistic take on the lives of some young teenage girls. The film centers around coming-of-age and being who you are. 

While there have been many critics, a man named Sean O’Connell has received the most attention due to his review being seen by fellow critics and social media influencers as racist and sexist. In his review in CinemaBlend, he stated that he was not the target audience of the film and that it, “risk[s] alienating audience members who can’t find a way into the story.” He continued on Twitter to express, “Some Pixar films are made for a universal audience. #TurningRed is not. The target audience for this one feels very specific, and very narrow. If you are in it, this might work well for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting.” The movie includes many aspects from teenage girls and their livelihoods and an abundant amount of women have voiced their love for representation in the media. Many have taken to social media as an outlet for their frustration and O’Connell has since apologized for his critiques and the review has been taken down. 

The movie itself made a total of $8.6 million in box office sales and has since received love from its fans, having a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. While there are definitely mixed opinions of the film being seen as controversial, Pixar’s take on a young girl maturing into an adolescent was something new and unexpected