Elio was announced as Pixar’s newest feature film at the D23 Expo in September 2022 and was finally released on June 20, 2025. After a long list of production issues, including a change in directors, multiple rewrites, a delayed release date, and an almost complete lack of marketing, my expectations were fairly low from the start. Combine that with a premise about a kid who wants to be abducted by aliens, and I was understandably hesitant to watch the film in the first place.

 

To be honest, the only reason I agreed to attend the screening was because I’d rather see the latest Pixar release in theaters for free, thanks to my press invite, than wait for it to arrive on Disney+. Still, I should have trusted the Pixar team, which has continued to deliver bold original stories throughout the 2020s despite the overwhelming wave of remakes and sequels. Although Elio has moments where its more juvenile concept becomes apparent, Pixar once again delivers a story rooted in sincere emotion, supported by breathtaking animation and a powerful musical score.

 

Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) has recently moved in with his Aunt Olga (voiced by Zoë Saldaña), who is clearly overwhelmed and struggling to manage her new responsibilities. Feeling misunderstood and out of place, Elio becomes increasingly fixated on the idea of being abducted by aliens, hoping to discover a better home somewhere beyond Earth.

 

The alien world Elio encounters is clearly geared toward a younger audience, filled with quirky characters and exaggerated designs. However, the heart of the film lies in its exploration of loneliness, identity, and the need to feel seen. I was surprised by how quickly the story drew me into its emotional throughline, and it held my attention even during a few slower sequences on the alien planet that felt more like obligatory world-building than narrative momentum. Once the film moves beyond the necessary exposition in its first half, it fully leans into the emotional arc it has been quietly building.

 

As the story progresses and the stakes become more personal, it becomes difficult not to form a connection with the characters. Many viewers will likely recognize themselves in Elio or those around him, which gives the film a quiet universality that may surprise some audiences.

 

The score, composed by Rob Simonsen, is a standout element. His recurring musical themes echo the film’s emotional beats with elegance and subtlety. One particular motif, introduced early in the film and reprised during the climax, is especially moving and gives the story a sense of cohesion. While the score may not reach the iconic status of Up or Finding Nemo, it is still among Pixar’s most emotionally resonant soundtracks in recent years.

 

Visually, Elio is a feast. The film’s expansive depictions of space and the richly imagined planets are filled with detail and wonder. However, the design of the aliens themselves feels somewhat generic, often leaning into soft, rounded, cartoonish shapes that recall characters from Treasure Planet or Osmosis Jones without offering much innovation. Even so, the overall visual composition is strong, and several sequences, particularly one involving a surreal dream-like transit through space, are absolutely worth seeing on the big screen. These moments highlight the strengths of theatrical animation and provide an experience that streaming simply can’t replicate.

 

While I began this journey skeptical about both the film’s concept and its troubled development, I left impressed by the emotional weight and artistry of the final product. Elio may not reinvent the Pixar formula, but it embraces the studio’s strengths with confidence: heartfelt storytelling, imaginative visuals, and a clear sense of purpose. Despite some weaker elements aimed at younger viewers, it ultimately delivers a deeply human experience that feels truly out of this world.