If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like if Pixar went full “Amblin,” complete with quasi-horror elements and deep Sci-Fi goodness, Elio is what you’re looking for. It rules.
Elio
Directed By: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Written By: Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Full disclosure: I had pretty much zero interest in seeing Elio. I love Pixar, and have really enjoyed the last few years of their output (Luca and Turning Red still deserve more love), but absolutely nothing about Elio was catching my interest. The trailers weren’t hooking me, and even the extended scenes I had a chance to check out at CinemaCon didn’t elicit much of a reaction out of me.
As such, I went into the theater not expecting much. I was completely blown away. I won’t sit here and say this is Pixar’s best film or anything that hyperbolic, but it’s definitely among their top tier list and I have a sneaking suspicion that time, and multiple re-watches, will make it even better.
The film puts the focus on Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab), a young kid dealing with the death of his parents. He finds himself unexpectedly in the care of his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), who works on a military base monitoring satellite communications. The adjustment is difficult for both of them, and Elio feels more and more out of place and unable to connect with the people of Earth. He becomes obsessed with space, more specifically the idea there are aliens out there where he may finally fit in.
When he responds to an intercepted call from an intergalactic federation known as the Communiverse, they mistake him for Earth’s leader and abduct him. There, he finds a place where he feels he finally belongs, but a warmongering race led by Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) threatens what Elio sees as his only chance to fit in. Tasked with brokering peace, Elio forms an unlikely bond with Grigon’s son Glordon (Remy Edgerly), another misfit looking for acceptance.
Things, obviously, don’t go to plan, resulting in an interstellar crisis he’ll have to find a way to resolve. I don’t want to go much further in order to avoid spoilers, but the film is far more than the Elio meets aliens adventure the marketing has portrayed it. If anything, it’s more in line with those older science-fiction “first contact” films of the 70s and 80s. There are hints of Close Encounters with a good heap of The Last Starfighter all mixed together with all the heart and emotion of an Amblin flick.
It’s damn engaging. The world-building implemented is interesting and unique, with some unique touches and hints of a deeper lore ripe for exploration. Yet, the movie doesn’t slow things down with any heavy exposition or explaining, instead simply letting the world they’ve crafted (and all the Sci-Fi elements) exist, while wrapping an emotional story around it.
Even though it hits on some familiar tropes/cliches, the story expertly utilizes them to the point you won’t care that you ultimately know where things are headed. Especially because it absolutely nails the emotional character beats. Seriously, it’s been a few films since Pixar made me tear up during a movie, but Elio manages it pretty quickly. I honestly don’t think there was a dry eye among any of the older kids—definitely not among the parents—during the film’s finale.
I hate to keep making the comparison to older Sci-Fi films, but it’s genuinely the easiest way to talk about this film. Elio succeeds in all the ways that make those classics great, and why some more modern Sci-Fi flicks struggle. It’s not about the setting, or even the visuals, but giving us characters you relate to; offering a compelling, emotional character journey wrapped in an appealing setting that not only dazzles with what you see on the screen, but sparks your imagination.
This character focus is even more impressive considering one of the primary characters, Glordon, is an eyeless slug-alien! He’s not just a quirky side-character meant to show off the strangeness of the wider universe. Instead he’s a fully fleshed out character who’s not only likeable, but easy to empathize with.
Elio also has some surprising elements, namely there are moments where it feels like Pixar’s take on horror. Again, this feels like harkens back to those classic Sci-Fi/Amblin films that manage to push the boundaries while still being appropriate for kids. The result here helps to elevate some of the cliche aspects and deliver the story in a way that still manages to surprise.
Combine all that with some stellar animation—once again the trailers don’t do the film’s visuals any justice—and Elio is Pixar firing on just about all cylinders. A couple, very minor, things hold the film back. Namely, there are some characters and story beats that feel a bit convenient in the plot or needed more fleshing out. None of this detracts from the overall experience, or emotional beats, but stood out to me when I started thinking about things a bit more.
