Elio
Elio
Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
Megan Cruz reviewedJune 30, 2025
I love this movie. It really saddens me to see it lumped in with a general decline of studio animation because it does not deserve that. I recently rewatched Atlantis, one of my childhood favorites, and I was struck by how much it sidestepped the established Disney story formula and instead was deeply emulative of 80s & 90s adventure blockbusters. Frankly, it was as awesome as I remember but for reasons I didn’t even notice as a kid. Elio gave me that same sensation. It brought to mind some of my favorite alien invasion films. It felt like a loving tribute to the entire genre. In the way Paranorman introduces kids to the horror genre, this film feels like it does the same for alien invasion films. Elio is such a funny film, that also made me cry four separate times. It’s exciting & unique & look I’ll admit it. I have a freshly seven year old son who recently told me he feels different from other kids, so I’m not exactly impartial here but who the hell is?? In my opinion, Elio has a rightful place amongst the new era of Pixar greats, Soul, Luca, & Turning Red. More genre heavy, deeply personal explorations that bravely branch out from the tried and true Pixar formula. I think these films are Brave (pun acknowledged) for daring to embrace the new. I foresee Elio developing a cult following much like Atlantis and Treasure Planet, and in another 20 years I’ll still be saying I always loved them all.