---
title: "Encanto: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/encanto/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/encanto"
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 23
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Encanto (2021): what the critics said

Critics' score 80 from 23 reviews: 22 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics warmly welcome Encanto as an animated musical whose close attention to family expectations gives its magic emotional weight. Praise clusters around the expressive animation, the Colombian setting and cultural detail, and the Madrigal house as a character in its own right. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs are widely admired for their energy and storytelling, while Mirabel’s ordinary status within an extraordinary family gives the reviews a sympathetic heroine to rally round.

Reservations concern familiar storytelling and the tendency to tidy away complicated family hurts. The range of opinion is wide, though only one of the 23 reviews is negative. RogerEbert.com finds some songs forgettable and the narrative prone to meandering; /Film considers the storytelling too formulaic. The Guardian is the clear dissenter, finding little magic in the film and arguing that its messages about the characters’ gifts contradict one another.

## The Independent — Mark Kennedy

Rating 4/4. 22 November 2021. 

The critic calls it a charming animated musical that flips the typical script by making the ordinary weird in a magical Colombian family. They single out the expressive visuals, house-as-character, and Miranda songs for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/linmanuel-miranda-stephanie-beatriz-colombia-hamilton-mpaa-b1962409.html)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 91/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2021. 

The critic calls it an absolute charmer, praising the purity of its storytelling, stunning visuals, and the buoyant original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda that blend traditional musical theater with Colombian music.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/encanto-disney-1235047171/)

## The New York Times — Maya Phillips

Rating Critic’s Pick. 23 November 2021. 

The critic praises the film as brilliant Disney animation with stunning visuals, a beautifully composed story focused on family dynamics, and spellbinding songs, highlighting its respect for Latino culture.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/movies/encanto-review.html)

## Vulture

Fi1m's normalised score 91/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 2021. 

The critic deems it the best Disney animated film since Frozen, praising its visual and musical strategies that underscore a nuanced tale of self-doubt, family expectations, and maintaining a façade, which becomes enormously moving.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-disneys-encanto-with-songs-by-lin-manuel-miranda.html)

## Empire — Ben Travis

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2021. 

The critic praises the vibrant visuals, stellar songs, and story with real heart as another Disney banger. They single out the intimate family story, Miranda's melodies, and the emotional finale for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/encanto/)

## Total Film

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2021. 

The critic calls it high-tier modern Disney that recasts the studio formula in fresh, dazzling shapes. They single out the endearing heroine, Colombia-set setting, and especially Lin-Manuel Miranda's songs for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/encanto-review-disney/)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Rating Critics Pick. 15 November 2021. 

The critic calls it a lively, lovely, lush animated musical fairy tale with vibrant animation and infectious songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda that keep the film bopping, noting its girl-power themes and emotional depth.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/encanto-review-lin-manuel-miranda-1235111940/)

## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2021. 

The critic describes it as a rousing and compassionate animated musical with vibrant animation and a fast-paced script rooted in lessons about self-worth, praising its empathetic charm and potential for healing.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-23/review-encanto-disney)

## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona

Rating 4/5. 15 November 2021. 

The critic describes it as a vibrant and rousing exploration of family and Colombian culture and praises the bright, lively animation with memorable characters and the anthropomorphised Madrigal home.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/encanto-review-disney/)

## The i Paper — Francesca Steele

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 November 2021. 

The critic describes it as a spectacular yet intimate coming-of-age fable celebrating ordinariness and everyday miracles in a Colombian magical family. They single out the best soundtrack since Frozen and the lack of a villain for praise.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/encanto-review-movie-film-disney-lin-manuel-miranda-frozen-1319056)

## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin

Rating 4/5. 25 November 2021. 

The critic calls it an out-and-out delight and a lusciously rendered swashbuckling adventure with dazzling animation, a sentient house, and a shrewdly introspective story about a young woman who feels surplus to requirements, boosted by Lin-Manuel Miranda's Latin and hip-hop-flavoured songs.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/encanto-review-lusciously-rendered-swashbuckling-adventure/)

## Time Out — Whelan Barzey

Rating 4/5. 26 November 2021. 

The critic calls it a fun, boisterous and sassy magical realistic tale and praises the animation for rendering luscious flowers, hair textures and skin tones as a genuine love letter to the diversity of Latin America.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/encanto-disney-review)

## The Times — Kevin Maher

Rating ★★★★☆. 25 November 2021. 

The critic praises it as a spectacular all-singing all-dancing Disney cartoon with a muscular sense of its own identity that addresses superhero tropes and the weight of family expectations and status in a Colombian setting, though it ends with a somewhat compromised happy ending.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/encanto-review-a-spectacular-all-singing-all-dancing-disney-superhero-cartoon-k82zsfwtj)

## Slant Magazine

Fi1m's normalised score 77/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2021. 

The review praises its clever use of magical realism that brings a vibrant, distinctly South American flavor and conveys that even in the best families it takes work to stay together, though the resolution is wrapped up too quickly and cleanly.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/encanto-review-disney-animated-musical/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2021. 

The critic calls it an appealing animated film that finds fresh ways to tell a story about characters with powers and praises the heartfelt message about coming to terms with trauma, which yields intensely moving results when the directors focus on underlying emotions.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/encanto-review/5164982.article)

## IndieWire — Kristen Lopez

Rating B-. 15 November 2021. 

The review describes it as a beautiful but trite lavish animated musical that feels emotionally wrought about family hurts and how 'normal' can be a four-letter word, though the story tries too hard to wrap nuance in a tidy bow.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/2021/11/encanto-review-disney-animated-musical-1234676653/)

## RogerEbert.com — Monica Castillo

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 2021. 

The critic finds the film a charming animated musical about family and self-worth despite some meandering and forgettable songs, praising its animation, design, voice cast, and cultural nods to Colombia.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/encanto-movie-review-2021)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2021. 

The critic finds the film a blandly frictionless Disney fairytale that misses the magic, hampered by contradictory messages about its characters' gifts and a lack of sparkle despite nice moments and sweet show tunes by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/nov/15/encanto-review-disney-lin-manuel-miranda-blandly-frictionless-fairy-tale)

## HeyUGuys — Emily Breen

Rating 5/5. 24 November 2021. 

The review calls Encanto a joy with dazzling animation and a colourful soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda, highlighting Mirabel as an engaging heroine and the film's delicate handling of peril leading to happy tears.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/encanto-review/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A-. 15 November 2021. 

The critic calls Encanto a heartwarming celebration of family that stands out from recent Disney Animation films by focusing entirely on familial relationships and expectations rather than using family as mere backdrop. They single out the catchy, original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the gorgeous animation for praise, while noting the story's emphasis that Mirabel does not need a superpower to be special.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/encanto-review-disney/)

## Polygon — Petrana Radulovic

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2021. 

The critic praises Encanto as a musical masterpiece and one of the most emotionally compelling films of Disney’s Revival Era, highlighting its tight focus on complex family dynamics, relatable themes of legacy and expectations, and effective use of music and animation to explore them without relying on a traditional villain. They single out the story’s grounded, inward-looking approach to family relationships and the infectious, storytelling-driven songs.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22778613/encanto-review-disney-lin-manuel-miranda/)

## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson

Rating ★★★★. 24 November 2021. 

The critic finds the film breezy, bright, and brilliant, praising its catchy songs, dazzling animation, and charming take on family dynamics and magical realism in a Colombian setting.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/encanto-2021-film-review-by-andrew-robertson)

## /Film — Josh Spiegel

Rating 7/10. 15 November 2021. 

The critic describes it as a likable and charming Disney film with beautiful animation and strong cultural elements, but notes it stays formulaic and does not push storytelling limits far enough.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/660992/encanto-review-a-sweet-but-formulaic-new-disney-adventure/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/encanto.md