Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Lana Condor voices a shy teenager whose love of the ocean takes her on an endearing journey in this family-friendly parable about finding the bravery to be different.

The color experience, on the most primal, visual aesthetic level, will be fun for little kids and fine for their parents.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken turns into something bigger and better than your average kids’ pic.

A likable film that can’t decide if it’s a Turning Red-style menstrual metaphor, a generational conflict story, a Nickelodeon teen diary sitcom, or Harry Potter except with creatures of the deep.


Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” blends teenage angst with a fun and vibrant take on sea-creature lore that subverts fairy-tale expectations.

Beautifully designed and voiced, this has a solid message at its heart. But it’s a well-told tale that suffers from being too well-trodden already.

Everyone, human or kraken, is a sassy little snark machine.

At its heart, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a tale of self-acceptance. While the outside world may initially see her as a monster, Ruby has to learn how to love her new self, embracing all the things that make her different from the rest of her peers

What it lacks in narrative originality or cinematic individuality it makes up for with its amiable humour, playful characters and refreshing thematic resonance.

It’s funny to write a story about a teenage kraken doesn’t break a whole lot of new ground, but it’s true. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a very by the numbers coming of age story.