'Arco' Review
- Dempsey Pillot
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 01/30/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Adventure. Animation. Fantasy. SciFi.
MPAA: Rated PG.
Distributor: Neon.
The Verdict: A Must-See
The year is 2075. A boy wearing a weird, colorful costume falls from the sky. A local girl discovers him and, while her intentions are pure, their meeting sets into motion a series of events that will change the world. That is the premise of Arco, the new animated feature produced by Natalie Portman and directed by Ugo Bienvenu.
Prior to his arrival, we learn that the boy (the titular character Arco) is from nearly one thousand years into the future. Where he comes from, time travel is the most popular form of leisure. And it’s accomplished by using special gems coupled with capes that grant people the ability to fly. While in flight, each cape leaves a color spectrum trail allowing each traveler to arrive anywhere in time under the guise of a rainbow. Because time travel is no easy task to master, no one under the age of 12 is permitted to do it - yet try alone. Arco is certainly not old enough to travel. But he’s also eager to share in the same experiences as his parents and older sister. One night, he steals one of the family’s capes and gems, and ventures out to try and fly himself. But when he loses control, he’s thrust into the past...which is just the present for the film’s other young protagonist Iris.
Similar to Arco, Iris is lonely. While she has friends at school, her parents travel often for business. Left to watch her and her baby brother is a guardian robot named Mikki. Although she gets along with it, there’s nothing that would make her happier than for her family to be whole again. So after finding Arco, she feels particularly compelled to reunite him with his family.
The story will fondly remind audiences of E.T. the Extraterrestrial. As will the intense friendship Arco and Iris form in such a short amount of time. The beautiful solarpunk-inspired animation also makes the film feel like it belongs in Studio Ghibli’s iconic catalog. But it ultimately overcomes those comparisons with its uniquely pertinent message, delivering a simple yet brilliant commentary on how humans choose to spend our time.
Everyone in the film has a complicated relationship with time. Arco is so obsessed with wanting to grow up that he literally gets lost in time. Iris sees helping Arco as a means of filling her own. She even secretly plans to leave her own timeline with Arco because her parents never have time for her. And that’s something the robot who babysits her has no problem giving because it has nothing but time to give.
The environment in the year 2075 also appears to be on borrowed time as the weather has become so severe every house needs to be protected by its own literal bubble. While a majority of the film takes place in the distant future, it’s a prescient and realistic vision of where humans are headed - especially in an age where devastating climate crises and humans handing their children over to technology has already become the new norm.
As critical as the film is of humanity’s role in its own future, it’s also heartfelt and humorous. As previously mentioned, even though Arco and Iris know each other for a short amount of time, their bond becomes so strong that it will leave a lasting impression. You won’t want to see them part. And you will want to know how their lives turn out regardless of if they end up leaving together. The humor comes courtesy of Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg and Flea. The trio play the film’s antagonists who appear to be “hunting” Arco. Although they don't have a lot of screen time, not a moment is wasted on them or their hijinks, which are sure to generate plenty of laughs.
Simply put, for a film hellbent on making you question the next rainbow you see, it only makes sense that you feel the full spectrum of emotions watching it. Arco is not just one of the best films of the year. It’s most certainly one of the best animated films of the year too. If not for the characters, story or vibrant vision, then for its optimistic understanding that it’s never too late to undo any damage. No matter how hopeless things may seem in the present, we have to remember that clarity only comes after the storm.
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