The thing I found most interesting about the new movie Encanto, which you can find on Disney+, especially if you have children, was that there was no villain … at least, in the traditional sense.
No evil stepmother, wicked witch, or scheming wizard with an axe to grind, who caused the main character lots of trouble.
If there was any villain in Encanto it was the pressure of familial expectations.
Now, despite the fact that Encanto is a fictional story, complete with unexplainable magical powers, the pressure of familial (and other kinds of) expectations is a very real thing that causes a very real amount of pain in the world.
Kudos to the Encanto team for not following the traditional ‘hero versus scary villain’ formula.
Sometimes, the villain is a fear we have to face that’s much closer to home.
Matt Fried 