Drew's Reviews: Cruella (Spoiler Free)

The new Cruella movie is dark, but good. I had the chance to check it before it’s May 28th release. Here’s a spoiler free review of Disney’s Cruella.

Let’s start with a quick paraphrase of the official synopsis from Disney: During the punk rock revolution of 1970s London, a young grifter named Estella tries to make a name for herself in the fashion industry. But when an affluent design legend hires Estella, secrets about the young girl’s past are revealed, driving her down a path of vengeance. 

In the original cartoon, Cruella didn’t have a lot of depth. She was an iconic villain. It was clear she was bad because she wanted to steal all those puppies to make them into a coat. But we never got much more insight into why she was the way she was.

In the new live action Cruella movie, we meet a character who is very complex and living this double-life. A young woman struggling to hide part of herself because she thinks she needs to act a certain way. But as time goes on, she pulls strength from the darkness within. This changes her and gives us a much more complex and layered Cruella de Vil than we’ve ever known.

Emma Stone does a really fantastic job of keeping this character grounded, even during over-the-top moments. The plot takes the presence of Cruella from the cartoon (a woman who commands the focus of whatever room she is in) and then finds a scenario where you find yourself rooting for this Disney villain, without ever truly liking the character. As bad as Cruella becomes in the familiar cartoon, she’s not there yet…but the foundations are absolutely being built.

The style of this movie is really great. It’s not a campy, fun, re-imagination of a cartoon. It’s in line with the new era of Disney live action adaptations. Movies that are more geared to adults who have nostalgic memories of the cartoons from their childhood and want to revisit some of those familiar characters in a new light.

The movie does balance the darkness with light moments and comedy. Usually that comes from Cruella’s long-time friends Horace and Jasper. And the backdrop of 1970s London complete with the fashion and music of the era creates a rich and realistic world. 

Without being too specific and spoiling any elements, Cruella is a good movie and I think it is worth the Premiere Access price if you’re watching at home on Disney +. The plot stays interesting as it transforms from a fish-out-water story, to a heist film, to ultimately become a revenge story. It’s not the Cruella you know from 101 Dalmations, I think it’s a much better character.

And one final note: don’t turn it off once the credits roll. There is a mid-credits scene that is very satisfying.