2021, PG, 100.
Directed by Domee Shi, Narrated by , Voices by Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Wai Ching Ho, Starring .

In director Domee Shi’s terrific short film “Bao,” a helicopter mom gives birth to a steamed bun son, then, when he starts to itch for more independence, she swallows him whole. In the literalizing-our-anxieties sweepstakes, Shi one-upped herself in debut feature Turning Red, wherein 13-year-old Mei Lee’s extreme (and extremely relatable) mood swings cause her to morph into a giant, rampaging red panda. Set in early Aughts Toronto, Turning Red’s funny, sweet, and empathetic portrait of cultural identity, gentle teen rebellion, and tetchy mother-daughter relations gets an extra boost from fake boy band 4*Town, a dead-on aping of the era featuring original songs by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. Released mid-pandemic, this straight-to-streaming Pixar picture now enjoys a belated, much-deserved berth in movie theatres. It’s perfectly delightful.

**** 

This article appears in February 9 • 2024.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...