"The Monster Under the Bed"

6 May 2026

2 mins 10s

Growing up with Disney.

Disney+ once again uses the breadth of its portfolio to offer glimpses of the life of a young protagonist. We first encounter him in the cinema with his father and witness him develop a lifelong aversion to monsters under the bed. As his life progresses, other dimensions of Disney's vast catalogue become his cultural touchstones but, inevitably, the monster under the bed is waiting for him.

The previous spot in this series was directed by Frédéric Planchon, so it's fair to say that SMUGGLER's Stefanie Soho had a hard act to follow, but the sweetness she provides is commensurate with her illustrious predecessor, and this fully deserves its place alongside his in the canon of work for this brand.

Shout out to Road Casting for their excellent contribution in finding a series of actors who genuinely look as though they are the same person at different stages in a single life. That's only half the job though, as it was then up to director Soho to coax similar levels of awkwardness and anxiety from each of her performers... and she nailed it.

These little details won't be noted by the audience but they will feel the power of them as they are reminded of the role played by Disney (and the films and TV that it has now acquired) in their own lives, and continue to grant it a special place in the spectrum of channels available to them.

UK

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