Bao

2018 • 8 min • Animation · Family · Fantasy · Drama · Comedy

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Synopsis

An aging Chinese mother suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

1331 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
76 Audience · 1330 · 49%

An aging Chinese mother with empty nest syndrome gets a second chance at motherhood when a dumpling comes to life. She joyfully raises her new "dumpling son," but as he grows, he longs for independence, leading to a poignant exploration of parental love and letting go.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 0/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 2/10

Heads up

A brief, intense scene of a mother trying to keep her child
Emotional themes of loss and letting go
Shows complex mother-child dynamics

What it models well

Unconditional love
Family bonds
Cultural heritage

Talk about it after

Empty nest syndrome
Parental sacrifices
Growing up and independence
The taste of home

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Bao. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

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Disney Plus

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Top billed cast

Director: Domee Shi • Crew: Domee Shi

Trailers & clips

Bao - Trailer

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
I thought there was a little bit of a culinary “Tom Thumb” to this as a couple pining for a child get their wish when one of their freshly steamed dumplings springs to life. It’s a lively, curious and mischievous little wrap that gets itself into all sorts of scrapes as it becomes used to human society.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community