Summary
An inspiring watch. Ten young adults sat in a studio discussing their hardships growing up. It’s a show that will make you reflect and gain a deeper understanding of other people’s situations.
This review of the Disney+ documentary series Growing Up (2022) season 1 does not contain any spoilers.
In this Disney+ docuseries, ten young adults appear to share their coming-of-age stories. Each story is difficult to hear. And it’s heartbreaking to witness some of the situations these young adults have been forced in. But while there are moments that may be challenging for the audience to watch, they also prove to be as empowering as the people telling the stories.
Firstly, I want to thank everyone who participated in the show. It must have been hard for them to relive their challenges, and it’s going to be hard not to have your heart broken as the ten “heroes” break down as they detail their challenges.
Additionally, the ten people (heroes) taking focus in each of the ten episodes are Vanessa, Clare and Isabel, Amiri, Emily, Sage, David, Sofia, Alex, Athena, and Gavin. Together they detail their experiences of racism, friendship, disability, depression, and homelessness. Each of these ten people gets their own episode, with only Clare and Isabel sharing their episode. Furthermore, in each episode, we see the ten heroes tell the other heroes the stories of their upbringings. Alongside that are interviews, comments from loved ones, reenactments, photos, and other personal items.
For a Disney+ show, it handles difficult topics well. While it by no means glosses over the dark subjects, it still makes the horrors these young people had to live with clear. In episode one, “Vanessa”, the line “you would be pretty if you were a few shades lighter” will for sure shock and infuriate viewers. But by these heroes retelling their stories, I hope that it inspires the audience watching and helps them with any issues they may be having at home.
Overall, an emotional watch that should not be taken lightly. As I have noted, if there was ever a show to look for inspirational people, this is the one.
What did you think of the Disney+ series Growing Up (2022) season 1? Comment below.
You can watch this series with a subscription to Disney Plus.
