Hola Frida (2025) Review

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Hola Frida” Film Details

Runtime: 1 Hour and 22 Minutes
Release Date: February 28, 2025
Initially Available On/Via: Film Festival – New York International Children’s Film Festival
Advisory Film Rating: Not Rated
Genre(s): Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Youth, Animation, Biopic, Non-English (Spanish), Historical
Director(s): Karine Vézina and André Kadi
Writer(s): Sophie Faucher
Based On Work By: Sophie Faucher, Cara Carmina

Summary

Focusing on Frida’s childhood from age 6 to 18, “Hola, Frida” focuses less on the makings of a legend, the family and community that molded her, and the challenges she had to overcome to become the icon Frida Kahlo.

Cast & Characters

Frida Kahlo (Olivia Ruiz, Emma Rodriguez)

• Olivia Ruiz is also known for their role in “Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart.”

Review

Highlight(s)

An Inspiration For Sick and Disabled Kids [88/100]

While the film doesn’t focus heavily on Frida’s years in a wheelchair, through showing her challenges with Polio and often being sick, needing a medical device, having fatigue, and more, it feels like the kind of representation you don’t often see, perhaps outside of Sesame Street. For to know how great Frida becomes, despite two major bouts with death, who she faces head on, and see her get to live a childhood which is still fun and engaging, this is something kids need to see.

After all, if you’re stuck at home, or often in a hospital, being told things will get better or other issues, who better than Frida Kahlo, acknowledging things she went through later in life, to inspire a kid that every obstacle is just a ledge to climb to get to a higher plain.

Animation Style Which Feels Like Quality But Allows for Quantity [85/100[

“Hola, Frida” isn’t trying to be ultra-realistic or have a Dreamworks or Pixar vibe to it. Instead, it admittedly gives modernized PBS animation, but there is something to that style which is not only nostalgic but also feels like it is built for quantity. For with the way the “Hola, Frida” is, you’d think it was a pitch for a series focused on Frida’s childhood and early adult years, as it goes from one story to the next.

And I’d add in, from moments when Frida is at the brink of death, playing with her little sister, dealing with bullying, or racing her peers, you see different scenarios that all push what this type of style can do and appreciate the work put into it.

About The Family Who Formed Her, Not Just Diego Who Inspired Her [83/100]

Diego is mentioned when Frida first sees one of his murals but isn’t seen on screen. Instead, we get a wealth of second-hand experiences with her family. We meet her formidable mom and sister, who play with her, look up to her, and love her dearly. Also, we see her relationship with her dad, who has epilepsy, which adds to the representation of people having different ailments yet still creating full lives.

Add in that no one feels like a trope, and it makes the combination all the better.

On The Fence

There Might Be Times You Find Yourself Questioning How This May End [77/100]

“Hola, Frida” has a narrative that doesn’t necessarily allow you to understand where it aims to end. It begins with an adult Frida going through her things, bounces to her being around 6 for most of the movie, then jumps forward to her being 18, and goes into the bus accident. However, with the amount of time we spend with her as a child, that is what inspires the feeling that this is like a PBS show.

When facing Polio, then needing a leg brace, and struggling with how she can not run as fast and teasing, you’d think that is the major hurdle she must overcome and triumph over. So, jumping to when she is 18 and fighting death once again, you may feel this film is getting long in the tooth, and you wonder if it will cover more of Frida’s life than expected. It doesn’t go too far beyond her facing death after the bus accident, but with it seeming they didn’t know where to end things, considering the wealth of access of materials they had, you can see it was a likely struggle to figure, where you could leave off and then present a montage about the rest of Frida’s life.

Overall

Our Rating (83/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)

The legend of Frida Kahlo has been seen in numerous movies and documentaries, and I’d submit this animated take on the legendary artist and activist as an entry point for a new generation of fans. With an engaging animation style, inspirational qualities, and a reminder of how much friends, family, and your community form who you are and are the building blocks for greatness, “Hola Frida” has all it needs to become a staple in the movies children remember that inspired them.

Content Information

• Dialog: Nothing Notable
• Violence: Nothing Notable
• Sexual Content: Nothing Notable
• Miscellaneous: Nothing Notable

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