ELIO
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi
Directed by: Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Remy Edgerly
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Platform: Theatrical
Rating: 4/5
“Elio may be set in space, but its heart is planted firmly on the ground.”
ELIO might be one of Pixar’s most powerful films in years. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t chase spectacle. It just tells a beautiful, tender story that sneaks up on you and hits you in all the right places. In a stretch where Pixar has been bouncing between sequels and bold-but-uneven swings, this one feels like something special. It’s original. It’s imaginative. And above all else, it’s sincere. ELIO may be set in space, but its heart is planted firmly on the ground—telling a story about grief, identity, and the complicated journey of trying to belong.
The setup is pure Pixar magic. ELIO, a space-obsessed kid with a wild imagination, finds himself suddenly beamed across the galaxy, mistaken for Earth’s ambassador. It’s a ridiculous premise in the best way—equal parts sci-fi adventure and emotional coming-of-age tale. As he’s pulled deeper into this alien world, he forms bonds, stirs up intergalactic chaos, and slowly starts to understand himself in ways he never could back home.
Visually, this film is stunning. That’s a given with Pixar, but ELIO still manages to impress. From dazzling alien designs to cosmic skylines that stretch into infinity, every frame feels purposeful and alive. The colors pop. The world-building is rich. And most importantly, the animation enhances the emotional impact. Every detail—from the twitch of a smile to the way light hits Elio’s eyes—adds weight to what he’s feeling. It’s whimsical, yes. But also, deeply expressive.
What makes ELIO click is its tone. It’s fun and silly when it needs to be, packed with clever humor and charm. But it also slows down when it matters. Those smaller, quieter scenes—where the laughs give way to loneliness, reflection, or love—are where the movie truly shines. The film doesn’t force emotion. It earns it. And that makes all the difference.
Beneath the sci-fi plot and galaxy-spanning adventure, this is a story about feeling different. About what it means to think you don’t belong—not just at school or in your neighborhood, but in your own life. Elio is a kid who dreams of being far away, not because he wants to escape, but because he wants to feel like he matters. And when he’s finally seen—mistakenly or not—he clings to it like it’s the only thing that’s ever made sense. That emotional thread is where the movie finds its depth.
There’s a side plot involving a young alien prince that mirrors Elio’s journey. It could’ve been a throwaway B-story, but it ends up giving the film even more weight. Their stories reflect each other—two kids from very different worlds wrestling with the same feelings of isolation, misunderstanding, and the ache of wanting to be chosen. It adds emotional texture in a way that feels natural, not forced.
ELIO is a movie that gives kids permission to feel complex things—grief, loneliness, fear, confusion—without making them feel broken for it. It doesn’t talk down to its audience. It doesn’t sugarcoat complex emotions. Instead, it wraps them in adventure, color, and wonder, offering reassurance that those feelings are okay. That they’re normal. That they’re human. And that they don’t last forever. This may not be Pixar’s biggest or flashiest movie, but it just might be one of its most heartfelt offerings. It’s a gentle, funny, visually dazzling story about being misunderstood—and learning to see yourself anyway.
