The character appears to symbolize the stigma around mental health issues: While he is never labeled with a specific diagnosis in the film, some viewers have suggested that he has OCD or another type of neurodivergent brain function.
Bruno is now a mental health campaigner after being diagnosed with depression and a bipolar disorder. He has earned praise for speaking about his personal problems and was at West Ham on Saturday as part of the Premier League's 'Inside Matters' campaign.
Although he is described as a monstrous and sadistic person, Bruno is actually a quiet, shy, and kind man who easily becomes nervous and suffers from anxiety, like his sister, Pepa. Bruno is introduced in the film as insecure and avoidant, and believes others' accusations that his gift only brings problems.
Bruno, for lack of better words, was the outcast, the black sheep, the scapegoat. Bruno has a few Autistic traits. In the movie, he developed the form of ritual based off of a combination of superstition and possibly sensory stimming.
The character appears to symbolize the stigma around mental health issues: While he is never labeled with a specific diagnosis in the film, some viewers have suggested that he has OCD or another type of neurodivergent brain function.
Following the release of the film, Bruno achieved viral popularity on social media. Leguizamo has also received praise from critics for his humorous and tragic portrayal of the character. Therapists have theorised that Bruno may be neurodivergent or have a mental illness.
Renee is a thirteen-year-old girl who is nonverbally autistic. She appears in the Pixar SparkShorts film, Loop. Renee enjoys playing ringtones on her phone and touching interesting textures (like reeds). She communicates by vocalizing, gesturing, and showing people things on her phone.
Mirabel, the leading character, was the only person in her family without a magical gift, while everyone in the family line received magical powers when they came of age. Mirabel's experience as an outsider to one of her own mirrored what a person with autism might experience.
Abuela Alma was traumatized when she and her babies were physically displaced, and she witnessed the death of her husband. The third generation of the family, including Mirabel, the film's 15-year old female protagonist, did not exactly experience the trauma but it continues to impact the family.
Bruno disappears in Encanto because his ability to see the future upsets everyone around him and he doesn't want that to be the case. Mirabel realizes that Bruno has been hiding in the walls of the house with rats and that he didn't run away from home after all.
Disney's Encanto, which tells the story of the magical Madrigals, doesn't have a bad guy, but one theory speculates that Dolores was the secret villain all along. Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) is the only Madrigal family member in Encanto who doesn't get a magical gift.
This movie is about a misunderstood Hawaiian girl named Lilo and how she makes a new family with a violent alien creation from outer space. If one looks closely enough, it can be seen that Lilo is neurodivergent, specifically autistic.
Finally, let's consider Alice from Alice in Wonderland (Geronimi et al., 1951), who has symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that often leads to serious impairment of thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors (Schizophrenia, n.d.).
In actuality, Encanto writer/director Jared Bush claimed that Bruno was far from seven feet tall. In fact, he clarified that the Madrigal family's heights were all gauged by Mirabel's height of 5'2''. Considering Bruno was only slightly taller than his niece, it's safe to assume he's closer to 5'4''.
After predicting too many negative events that did turn out to come true, like a tornado at Pepa's wedding, Bruno was blamed for every single horrible thing that happened to the Madrigals and their village. For them, it was as if Bruno was creating those tragedies instead of simply warning everyone about them.
In addition to the violent scenes and scary visual images mentioned above, Encanto has some scenes that could scare or disturb children aged 5-8 years. For example, Mirabel is nearly killed when her uncle's room collapses around her, trapping her in a dark cave filled with flowing sand and falling debris.
In Encanto, intergenerational trauma stems from Abuela Alma Madrigal, the family matriarch, who experienced the traumatic loss of her husband when fleeing her invaded homeland with their newborn triplets.
Although Bruno knew that his visions did not affect the future, he had to deal with people constantly treating him as if he was responsible for his predictions. Due to this, Bruno internalized the idea that bad luck surrounded him and began taking action to block it, such as by knocking on wood.
Bruno is a bit eccentric, and one could argue that Bruno struggles with mental health concerns, exhibiting tics of "knock-knock-knock on wood" among others. Mirabel also learns that her sister Luisa is under tremendous pressure that causes her great anxiety.
