What the Panic Attack Scene in the Puss in Boots Sequel Gets Right

(SPOT.ph) When we think of Puss in Boots, our minds are often transported back to his unforgettable teary eyes from Shrek 2, released almost two decades ago. 

Today though, the revival of Puss through its second franchise Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is being immortalized for something else—and no, we’re not just talking about its commercial success as the second-highest grossing animated film of 2022.

Twitter users have been applauding the movie’s realistic depiction of a panic attack. Halfway through the film, the ever-so-charming Puss is pulled into a state of fear and panic following a crucial sequence. It’s a short 40-second clip of Puss gripping his chest and panting, his friend Perrito the dog nearby in earnest wait for the panic attack to come to a natural stop.

Also read: How to Cope When the News is Causing You Anxiety

What’s in a panic attack, as experienced by Puss?

According to the Mayo Clinic, a panic attack “is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause.” In the scene, Puss momentarily loses faith in something, which escalates into a panic attack that feels like a near-death experience.

Other symptoms of a panic attack can include the following, with the bold items portayed in Puss' 40-second episode: 

• Tunnel vision
• Rapid heartbeat
• Hot flashes
• Disorientation
• Breathlessness
• Chest pains
• Trembling or shaking
• Loss of control

There are no overt dramatics in the scene, and Perrito knows exactly how to respond to the situation. It’s what friends and families should be doing when someone experiences a panic attack: be still, be gentle, and let them know you are there for them by staying put. If the person isn’t already in a quiet place, move them to an environment that is predictable and comfortable. You can remind them to take slow, deep breaths as they ease into a calmer state.

Contrast Puss' experience to Velma’s panic attack in the adult animated spin-off of the Scooby-Doo franchise, where her heart is literally pumping out of her chest before she snaps out of it almost instantaneously and by choice. The latter is how panic attacks are typically represented in cartoons—a stark difference in how the Shrek spin-off treated the same concept. Much in the same way the original Shrek broke the mold of animated movies, the Puss in Boots sequel has been lauded for being way more hard-hitting than general audiences expected from a kid's movie. 

True enough, Puss' experience in this scene comes from storyboard artist Taylor Meacham's own history with panic attacks. The tunnel vision and loud heartbeat are things Meacham experiences, he tells CNN. "The contrast from such intensity gradually into calm is another moment I hope feels real for viewers," the artist was quoted as saying.

The moment in Puss in Boots may be brief, but the impact it had cannot be overlooked. Representation in film and television has always mattered, and seeing a panic attack unravel on the screen in a more realistic, dare we say non-cartoonish manner, is another way of making audiences feel understood.

Real life is rarely exaggerated, and interestingly enough, no one understood that better than a children’s animated film.

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