Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi, is a movie surrounding the life of 13 year old Mei Lee. She’s your typical eighth grader, awkward, geeky, still young and impressionable, and she was very well behaved making sure to always listen to her mother and be the perfect child for her family. Things are going well for Mei, she has good grades, she helps run her family’s temple, life is great. But, one night, Mei has a strange nightmare about red pandas and her ancestors. When she wakes up, she notices that things are different. Somehow, she’s become a red panda. Her mother tells her about the history of their ancestors and why she was going through what she was going through. Luckily, there’s a cure. Mei Lee must perform a ritual on the next blood moon, unluckily, it’s on the night of her favorite boy band, 4Town’s, performance. So, she has to decide which one is more important to her.'
This movie was pretty good. Though I admit, I visibly cringed at some parts, it can be excused because the characters are middle schoolers. They’re preteens, it makes sense for them to be a bit awkward or make childish jokes and behaviors that I, as a high schooler, don’t really like or find funny anymore. I liked the underlying message of the movie. I interpreted it as the struggles through puberty and change, especially for girls. It depicts how much a person can struggle with it, the embarrassment and pain that they feel while going through with it. Also, the other message is possibly about generational trauma for some kids. The harsh expectation that they feel from their parents to be perfect, all A students who listen to everything that their parents say and are put to higher standards. We see this struggle through Mei Lee and her relationship with her mother, as she struggles with following her heart, and doing what it takes to please her mother and her ancestors. So overall, this is a great movie for preteens and those who are going through puberty. It helps them know that these changes are normal, and that everyone goes through them and that everyone is going to be okay in the end.
This movie was pretty good. Though I admit, I visibly cringed at some parts, it can be excused because the characters are middle schoolers. They’re preteens, it makes sense for them to be a bit awkward or make childish jokes and behaviors that I, as a high schooler, don’t really like or find funny anymore. I liked the underlying message of the movie. I interpreted it as the struggles through puberty and change, especially for girls. It depicts how much a person can struggle with it, the embarrassment and pain that they feel while going through with it. Also, the other message is possibly about generational trauma for some kids. The harsh expectation that they feel from their parents to be perfect, all A students who listen to everything that their parents say and are put to higher standards. We see this struggle through Mei Lee and her relationship with her mother, as she struggles with following her heart, and doing what it takes to please her mother and her ancestors. So overall, this is a great movie for preteens and those who are going through puberty. It helps them know that these changes are normal, and that everyone goes through them and that everyone is going to be okay in the end.
Rating: 4/5