Elio (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Elio struggles to fit in until he is transported by aliens and becomes the chosen one to be Earth’s galactic ambassador while his mother Olga works on the top secret project to decode alien messages.

My Take – For thirty years, as a premium animation studio, Pixar has rarely skipped a beat.

Out of the 29 features they have produced so far, only about two or three may have missed the expected the mark of the highest quality standard they have set for the industry. But while the market forces have forced them to concentrate on making more sequels, in fact three are in development at the time of writing, nothing precedes the caliber of their original output.

Such is also the case of their latest venture, which though may have given them their worst box office opening weekend till date, but storytelling wise, it’s quite far from their weakest.

Laced once again by their classic mix of wonder and warmth. Acting as a pleasant homage to classic sci-fi adventures like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and The Last Starfighter (1984), this Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi (Turning Red) and Adrian Molina (Coco) directorial shines with sincerity and heart as a jolly combination of space adventure and life lessons, all told in bright bursts of color and action.

Sure, it never reaches the complexity or writing depth found in their top-tier outputs, but as a timeless coming-of-age adventure it delivers enough entertainment value to satisfy viewers of all ages. With its sharp humor, radiant, eye-catching animation especially the peculiar alien characters and it’s heartfelt insight about universal sorrows and joys ensuring that it will be remembered as one of the studio’s most poignant projects.

The story follows eleven-year-old Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who after suddenly losing both of his parents in an accident is now living on an army base with his single aunt Olga (voiced by Zoe Saldaña), an Air Force major working as an orbital analyst. Feeling unwanted by his aunt and disconnected from the world around him, Elio finds himself fascinated with the Voyager 1 spacecraft, particularly by the idea of discovering other life in space.

And with his growing obsession Elio comes up with an easy solution: he needs to be abducted by aliens. But while his multiple attempts initially fail, his active imagination, skills and a chance encounter to reply back to a message send through the Voyager finally gets Elio’s wish fulfilled.

Beamed away across the galaxy to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking. However, the Communiverse members mistakenly believes him to be the leader of Earth, and when they find themselves in a hostile takeover situation by Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett), an alien warlord furious about his own rejection from the society, Elio is sent over to navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions.

It’s a solid premise that has all the makings of a classic Pixar film. It’s existential, cute and will definitely leave you all emotional. Through its main character’s close encounter, screenwriters Julia Cho, Mark Hammer and Mike Jones cleverly broach the resonating experience of feeling alone against a backdrop of imaginative visuals illustrating the universe’s enormity. It’s part of the biggest message for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t matter or that they can never get things right or they just don’t fit in.

Wanting to run away with aliens into space or another planet where he’ll be unique is a lovely metaphor for aiming to find your place in the universe where you’ll be seen and accepted as you are, flaws and all. They capture the desire we have to find meaning not just across the stars but also in the face of loss, which can feel just as isolating as being lost in space.

Later in the film, Elio meets Grigon’s son Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly), and the two quickly become best friends. Glordon, who looks like a caterpillar, is nothing short of adorable and their friendship becomes the heart of the film. The two connect over their inability to make their parental figures understand them. Glordon doesn’t want to become a war machine like his father, which would involve putting on a rigid suit of armor and giving up all manner of emotional softness. A poignant analogy on how adults must leave behind their capacity for wonder and build emotional barriers when they come of age.

Yes, by the end of its 98 minutes run time, you will shed those Pixar tears, but mostly in a feel-good way because of the sheer abundance of wonder the film evokes and how the narrative ties it all together culminating in a powerfully moving and awe-inspiring reminder that life with those we love is such a worthwhile experience.

As one would expect, the animation is top-tier. A slow-motion sequence during Elio’s abduction was a standout moment-beautifully executed and visually stunning. Personally, I loved the variety of alien designs as each one looked unique and visually distinct.

Voice performance wise, Yonas Kibreab infuses Elio with the right amount of vulnerability, curiosity, and charm, making the character one of the most empathetic Pixar protagonists in recent memory. His performance is matched by Remy Edgerly, who brings warmth, vulnerability and quirk in equal measure. Together, they form the emotional core of the film, offering a friendship that feels as genuine as it is cosmic. Zoë Saldaña too is solid, but she’s also sidelined for a significant portion of the film.

In other roles, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, Brandon Moon and Matthias Schweighöfer leave the necessary mark. On the whole, ‘Elio‘ is an uplifting and charming intergalactic adventure that boasts dazzling animation, and even more striking emotional depth.