Coco Review

Pixar have done it again. Pixar have made some fantastic films over the years and Coco is their latest triumph.

I am going to keep this review as spoiler free as I possibly can. If you want to experience Coco completely fresh then don’t read on, but otherwise I promise I won’t reveal any major plot points in my review.

Coco follows the story of Miguel Rivera on the eve of the Day of the Dead (also known as Dia de los Muertos) as he tries to follow his passion for music and learn more about his family. This is a movie about family, music, love and yes, it is also a movie about death.

Dia de los Muertos really is a perfect subject matter for a Pixar film. It’s a festival that’s colourful, about family and emotional, all of which are things that Pixar excels at. My assessment on how culturally authentic the depiction of Dia de los Muertos was is limited by my being a cultural outsider however I think Pixar did a good job at representing Mexican culture. I think they made a culturally authentic film that celebrated Mexican culture and avoided falling into stereotypes.

I would say in the canon of Pixar films tonally Coco feels most similar to Monsters Inc and Inside Out, both of which are some of their best films. There’s one moment towards the end which really reminded me of a moment from Monsters Inc. Whilst I would like to see Coco again before I make a full judgement I think it fits pretty highly up the list of Pixar films.

If you’re thinking about going to see Coco then I would urge you to go see it whilst it is still in cinemas. This is a movie that you will want to see on the big screen. Pixar are known for their stunning visuals and Coco is no expectation. There’s some scene which I can honestly only describe as breath-taking! I want to buy the art book and study every minute detail! Seriously, Coco is a really aesthetically pleasingly movie.

We all know Pixar movies are emotional. I think probably everyone who has ever seen a Pixar movie has cried at something (Bing Bong from Inside Out always makes me cry). Well, Coco continues that tradition. I’m not going to say what made me cry but I cried multiple times. Bring tissues with you when you go to see it. That said, despite the fact that Coco is an emotional movie it is not a sad movie.

Pixar have really done it again. I honestly think that this is one will be talking about and praising for many years to come.