Coco (2017)
★★★★ — Coco (2017)
Pixar has, over the years, built a reputation for animated films that carry genuine emotional weight without talking down to younger audiences, and Coco (2017) sits comfortably among the studio's most ambitious efforts. The film draws on the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos, the annual celebration in which families honour their deceased relatives, and uses that cultural framework to tell a story about memory, legacy, and what it means to be remembered. It is worth noting that Pixar invested considerable time in research and consultation with Mexican artists, cultural advisers, and community members during production, an effort that lent the film a specificity that goes well beyond surface decoration. The result is a family film rooted in a particular cultural identity rather than a vague, generalised one.
The film marks the return of Lee Unkrich to the director's chair at Pixar. Unkrich previously directed Toy Story 3, a film that demonstrated his particular gift for wringing genuine pathos out of animated characters, and Coco continues very much in that spirit. Co-directed by Adrian Molina, who also contributed to the screenplay, the film runs at a brisk 105 minutes and rarely loses its footing. The original songs and score were composed by Germaine Franco and Adrian Molina, with contributions from Michael Giacchino. Pixar's parent studio Disney distributed the film, and it was received warmly on release, though it is the craft behind the production rather than any commercial consideration that tends to dominate conversation about it.
The voice cast is led by Anthony Gonzalez as twelve-year-old Miguel, a performance that carries the film's considerable emotional load with real assurance. Gael García Bernal brings a loose, warm energy to Hector, the roguish figure Miguel encounters in the Land of the Dead, and the two have a natural chemistry that keeps the central relationship feeling alive. Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, and Renée Victor round out a cast that feels genuinely invested in the material. For those interested in other animated features that push the form in interesting directions, it is worth looking at Fantastic Planet and Josep, two rather different examples of what animation can achieve when it takes its subject seriously. If family films with genuine emotional ambition are your thing, Macca's piece on The Hunchback of Notre Dame is also well worth your time.
A vibrant, emotional celebration of family, memory, and music. Coco is Pixar at its heartfelt best. Visually stunning, beautifully scored, and absolutely bursting with soul (no pun intended). The animation is gorgeous. The Land of the Dead is one of the most colourful, imaginative worlds Pixar’s ever created. The music is expectedly wonderful. “Remember Me” hits harder than it has any right to, especially when you realise what it really means. It’s a film that wears its heart on its sleeve, and yes, I cried (a bit). More than once. It’s a touching reminder of how powerful family bonds are, even beyond death. A lovely, culturally rich gem. Great for kids, devastating for adults.
For me, what stays with Coco long after the credits roll is how honestly it treats grief and the fear of being forgotten. Those are not easy themes for any film, let alone one aimed squarely at families, and yet the whole thing holds together without ever feeling manipulative or forced. I suspect it will keep finding new audiences for a good while yet. Films that make you cry and leave you feeling better for it are rarer than they should be, and this is one of the good ones.
Rating: ★★★★ | Year: 2017 | Watched: 2025-04-06
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for Coco (2017) on YouTube
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus · fuboTV
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Lee Unkrich: Toy Story 3 (2010)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More family: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Wonder (2017) · Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anastasia (1997)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
