Everyone wants to feel like they fit in and that someone understands them. Life isn’t always predictable and people can’t always be there in the way that others need, which can result in feelings of loneliness and isolation. The idea that there’s something out there that has to be better has its appeal, and that may manifest specifically in a child who doesn’t yet know what the world holds. Elio takes that premise and adds an intergalactic component of magic to it in a welcoming journey of self-discovery for one boy who believes that he isn’t meant to be on Earth.
Elio (Yonas Kibreab) has lost his parents and isn’t trying too hard to connect with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), who has no idea how to talk to a nephew who’s more interested in speaking his own invented language, Elioese, than seeing how much effort she’s investing in taking care of him while sidelining her own ambitions of becoming an astronaut. When Elio records a message to be beamed into space, he soon finds himself transported to the dazzling Communiverse, where alien ambassadors have mistaken him for the leader of Earth and a terrifying warlord named Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) is ready to wreak havoc.
Elio is officially the twenty-eighth feature film produced by Pixar as the animation studio marks its thirtieth year. Since its formative first film, Toy Story, the brand has consistently put out quality entertainment for both children and adults that highlights the misunderstood and shows how they’re able to find a way to connect with those around them who at first didn’t seem like they could possibly have any traits in common. Elio is no exception, perfectly compatible with the many beloved previous Pixar productions that have smartly and beautifully extracted meaning from a seemingly simple premise.
There is a relative simplicity to this film’s plot that serves it well and allows the focus to remain on Elio’s journey towards acceptance of his situation and a realization that what he has already may in fact be just what he needs. At the start, he lays down on a beach surrounded by writing begging aliens to abduct him, and when it finally happens, he’s ecstatic. Who wouldn’t want to leave the pain of losing his parents and being constantly bullied behind? It’s fitting, therefore, that the first person – or, more accurately, being – he encounters would be the biggest bully of them all.
Like Inside Out and Soul before it, Elio features mesmerizing and colorful depictions of this magical place known as the Communiverse. Even if its ambassadors weren’t friendly and entirely complimentary towards their newest arrival, the sheer visual appeal would be enough to keep Elio there forever. The natural kindness that Elio possesses enables him to see a kindred spirit in Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who just happens to be the son of Lord Grigon who has little desire to go into the family business and would prefer just to engage in simple pleasures.
In a time of increased divisiveness, it’s refreshing to have a film like Elio which strips away any notions of politics or worldviews and boils everything down to an ability to cooperate with and recognize the individuality of those around you. It meets the most basic demand of any animated film to work equally well for both young and older audiences, offering additional insight into the human condition that adults can appreciate without detracting from a cute story about kids with pure hearts from different species finding immediate commonalities. Its message of warmth and acceptance is profound, resounding, and stirring, a helpful reminder to anyone who doesn’t always feel entirely at home that there is most definitely a place for them.
Movie Rating: 8/10
