As audiences continue to call for more original storytelling in Hollywood, it’s disheartening to learn that Disney-Pixar’s latest feature Elio recorded the studio’s lowest opening weekend to date, according to Forbes. However, Elio is exactly the kind of film that merits attention and support. It’s a richly imaginative and emotionally resonant adventure that deserves to be experienced on the big screen by viewers of all ages.
Elio is a science-fiction animated film from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina, with a screenplay by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones, based on a story by Molina and Sharafian. At its heart is young Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), a grieving child who, after the untimely death of his parents, the only people who understood his vivid imagination and spoke his whimsical language, Elionese.
Elio is sent to live with his aunt, Olga Solís (voiced by Zoe Saldaña). Olga is an orbital analyst responsible for monitoring space debriefs. Though she dreams of one day joining the astronaut program, her aspirations are put on hold when she takes on the responsibility of raising her young nephew. During a visit to a local air and space museum, Elio learns about the Golden Record and becomes enthralled with the idea of making contact with extraterrestrial life. A spirited space enthusiast with a boundless imagination, Elio transforms his world into a cosmic haven—his bedroom adorned with galaxy-themed décor, glowing lights, and celestial posters.
Driven by curiosity and wonder, he begins spending his days and nights on the beach, lying inside a hand-drawn circle etched with the bold words “Aliens abduct me.” While accompanying Olga to work one day, Elio sneaks into an emergency briefing where conspiracy theorist Gunther Melmac (voiced by Brendan Hunt) claims to have discovered evidence that aliens have responded to the Voyager message. Though dismissed by Olga and her team, Elio takes matters into his own hands and secretly sends a heartfelt transmission into the cosmos, closing it with a warm and childlike sign-off: “Okay bye, I love you.”
Elio’s longing to be transported into space stems not from simple curiosity, but from a deeper sense of loneliness and disconnection. He doesn’t feel he belongs—anywhere or to anyone. Though his aunt cares for him in the absence of his parents, there remains an emotional distance he can’t quite bridge. “Your life isn’t up there, Elio, it’s down here,” she reminds him, but for a boy grappling with grief and alienation, the promise of something out there feels more comforting than anything on Earth.
Hoping to instill discipline, Olga sends him to a local summer camp, which only further isolates him. There, he encounters two bullies, Bryce and Caleb, who corner him with violent intent. Just before they can strike, an alien ship appears, abducting Elio in a sudden, surreal rescue. Onboard, the beings announce: “Send me your leader,” believing Elio to be Earth’s representative.
Inside the spaceship, Elio meets OOOOO (voiced by Shirley Henderson), a fluid supercomputer, and is transported to the Communiverse, a spectacular hub where countless species from across galaxies converge to share knowledge and diplomacy. With gravity-defying tools, body-temperature regulators, and self-cloning clay, the Communiverse is a place unlike anything Elio has ever known. Mistaken for the creator of the Voyager spacecraft, Elio is hailed as Earth’s ambassador. For the first time, he feels wanted. “Aliens looking for me—you saved my life,” he says with joy.
Elio’s connection to aliens runs deeper than fascination; they represent the sense of otherness he’s always carried. Just as extraterrestrials exist outside human society, Elio feels out of place in his own world. “This planet doesn’t want me. There has to be one that does,” he laments. Rejected by his peers, emotionally neglected at home, and misunderstood at every turn, Elio finds solace among beings who see him not as a problem, but as possibility.
Before Elio can correct the misunderstanding, he’s swept into an emergency assembly led by Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett), a disgraced warlord threatening to conquer the Communiverse. Seizing the moment, Elio boldly introduces himself as “Elio Silas of Earth” and declares he can protect the intergalactic alliance. His attempt to negotiate peace quickly backfires, unintentionally provoking Grigon and landing him in a high-security prison.
Back on Earth, Elio’s clone carries out his daily routine under Olga’s watchful eye, impersonating him with comical awkwardness and robotic precision. This plot thread adds levity while also subtly commenting on how people often “go through the motions” of life, detached from emotional truth.
While trying to escape, Elio stumbles upon Grigon’s son, Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly), and devises a plan: use Glordon as leverage to force a truce. Surprisingly, the two form an unlikely bond. Much like Elio, Glordon is naive, eager to connect, and shaped by a deep longing for affection. Their emotional similarities surface despite their physical and cultural differences.
Grigon and his son belong to a species with a soft, gelatinous form that hides inside mechanical armor, towering suits that project dominance and strength. This protective casing, they’re told, must remain intact at all times: “Exposing our soft, warm flesh would bring great dishonor to our family.” The metaphor is striking, an overt commentary on emotional armor. Their hardened exteriors are not unlike the barriers humans build to shield vulnerability, fear, and sensitivity. For Elio and Glordon, shedding that armor, both literal and figurative, becomes essential to forging authentic connection and mutual understanding.
Just as Olga often emotionally overlooks Elio, Glordon is similarly ignored by his father, Grigon. “My dad is finally going to pay attention to me,” Glordon says with a hopeful smile. Despite being entirely different species, the two boys form a meaningful bond over their shared yearning for love and validation from absent or emotionally distant parental figures. “It feels like my dad doesn’t want me,” Glordon confesses, a devastating sentiment that speaks to the silent ache children often carry when their emotional needs go unmet. The film opens space for a necessary conversation: parents, though often placed on pedestals, are imperfect humans—still learning, still fumbling through the complexities of love and responsibility.
One of the most touching motifs in Elio is his phrase, “Okay, bye. I love you,” first spoken in a message to the aliens and then repeated by them throughout the film. It’s a line filled with longing, something he never hears or says in his relationship with Olga. In the warmth and curiosity of these extraterrestrial beings, Elio finds what he’s been missing all along: simple, unconditional love. His connection with them reflects a universal truth, sometimes, those who are meant to protect us can also be the source of our deepest wounds.
For Elio, the loss of his parents, who were the only people who ever truly understood him, has left a gaping void. “The only people who wanted me are gone. What if there’s nothing about me to want?” he questions. His grief births an internalized narrative that maybe the problem isn’t the world, but himself. Elio gently reminds us that sometimes, the greatest adventure isn’t into outer space, but into the depths of what it means to be seen, wanted, and loved.
Elio beautifully explores the emotional terrain of loneliness, rejection, and vulnerability. In this story, softness is not weakness, it is the courage to be fully seen without armor or pretense. Elio and Glordon’s bond is unexpected but deeply moving, illustrating the universal desire to find a place where one belongs. In the Communiverse, Elio experiences a profound shift: “I was always meant to be here. I knew you were looking for me,” he declares. That simple moment captures the film’s core theme, the human urge to be accepted, to be loved for exactly who we are.
What makes Elio resonate so strongly is how it reframes escapism not just as fantasy, but as a response to real-world emotional neglect. In Elio’s grief-stricken eyes, the only way out is to leave the world that fails to understand him. “If they don’t want you, why not find someplace that does? Why waste your life trying to connect with people who don’t get you?” he asks. His journey becomes a metaphor for self-worth and the radical act of seeking love where it flows freely.
The film also shines in its voice cast and vibrant animation. Performances are heartfelt across the board, with each actor bringing emotional nuance to their characters. The animation style is a charming balance between stylized cartoon and lifelike detail. Both Earth and the Communiverse pulse with color and personality, immersing viewers in a vivid duality of worlds. While the plot occasionally leans into familiar territory, especially in the classic “outsider must choose between two worlds” trope, it still lands with sincerity. As Elio reflects near the end, “This isn’t goodbye. Just not yet. This place is amazing—but Earth is home.”
Ultimately, Elio offers a warm, accessible entry point for young audiences to grapple with complex emotional truths. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it delivers its message with heart: being “different” can often feel like being alone—but you’re never truly alone. And perhaps that’s the greatest answer to the age-old question: Are we?
