Last Friday I watched Cruella for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. No the movie wasn’t perfect but it was far more enjoyable than the likes of Mulan, both Maleficent films, and even Cinderella.

Because I liked it so much I decided to watch it again yesterday to see if its enjoyment would hold up and sure enough, it did.

You know those movies that aren’t particularly great stories but are super rewatchable. Cruella is one of those movies.

It’s a classic Disney story with no real authenticity, the writer’s timidity on making Cruella truly evil is a bit frustrating, and yes, the CGI is awful, but ultimately it might become the live-action Disney movie I’ll watch the most.

So what is it that makes Cruella so magnetic? Simple. The characters.

Emma Stone and Emma Thompson are Oscar-winning masters of their craft and you can tell as they play off each other so magnificently. Emma Stone gives a scintillating performance as the young upstart Cruella as she cackles wickedly and makes trash look like something worth wearing to the Met Gala.

And The Baroness is dripping with snobbish soullessness. She’s the greatest Disney villain since Tangled‘s Mother Gothel, the evil witch with the iconic Disney song “Mother Knows Best” which sums up her character in roughly three minutes. I love her opposite Cruella and her outfits are just as fascinating.

I think as a woman, it is these powerful female performances and the gob-smacking fashion that keeps me coming back for more because ultimately that’s the soul of the movie and it is glorious.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.