Elio takes flight: A journey through space and emotion in Pixar's latest offering

Not to get political, but one benefit of modern-day conspiracy theories is that, today, believing in aliens is rather… pedestrian. We should treat it as an opportunity to get excited again about the idea of meeting creatures from another world. Elio, Pixar’s latest cinematic outing, got that message loud and clear, and we’re left all the more emotionally wrecked for it.

The film tells the story of Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), an eleven-year-old boy whose family related tragedy has left him in the care of his loving but begrudging aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña). Convinced that extraterrestrial life must exist, Elio is constantly going the extra mile to make first contact and/or get abducted. Going that extra mile eventually lands him in hot water and stuck at a military camp. But not soon after, the universe replies to his calls and transports him to the alien Communiverse, believing him to be Earth’s ambassador. And while Elio is seemingly happy, making new friends, the situation soon becomes complicated, leaving him wondering about what his true place in space is.

The biggest flaw that Elio has in its spacesuit is its archetypal plot. While younger audiences may not see where the story is going, older ones can see the future character beats being clearly telegraphed. What aggravates this are some of the fundamental plot points, most notably the one where Elio is mistaken for someone he isn’t. These kickstart events and interactions that have to happen because the plot needs them to. And, with educated foresight, you’re just left there, waiting for them to happen.

Visual identity

Weirdly, the film also struggles to have a distinct, visual identity, both in the Pixar pantheon and in the last year or so of animated films. The overabundance of colours and alien designs results in the eyes being overwhelmed, making it difficult to appreciate elements that the film is trying to spotlight. Pixar animation is second to none. More than that, Elio features some of the most spectacular environmental and lighting details to date. But its whole is not greater than the sum of its parts.

Archetypes aren’t an inherently bad thing; neither is unoriginal storytelling, just so long as you can still tell a story well. And for all the flaws listed, Elio gets away with them thanks to its emotional depth.

The film’s opening sequence alone is a savage gut-punch, introducing Elio’s personal circumstance and the sacrifices Olga has made to be there for her nephew, and also ruminating on the beauty and mystery of space travel. Elio’s relationship with his aunt is not just beautiful, but underpins the film’s exploration of loneliness — the stinging sensation that you are not where you’re supposed to be or with the people you’re supposed to be.

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Elio also succeeds in just being pure, plain fun, empowered by very likeable characters and a disinterest in taking matters too seriously. Directors Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina (who left the project early to go work on the upcoming Coco sequel) keep the film’s focus where it should be while also doubling down on the sense of cosmic adventure. That sense is reinforced by composer Rob Simonsen’s breathtaking musical score, one that typifies the feeling of attending a planetarium show or walking through a shadow-lit space exhibition at a museum.

At its heart, the film exemplifies what Pixar does better than any other animation company (sibling Walt Disney Animation Studios included): consistently deliver emotional impact with its storytelling. And what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in commitment and sincerity. Elio is in love with the mystery of space, and it also wears that on its sleeve, complete with occasional narration by Carl Sagan.

For all its time spent among the stars, Elio is by no means world-changing. But like the stars it travels among, it burns brightly, devoid of twinkling cynicism. No matter where in the universe you find yourself, you can rely on it to guide you home. DM

Elio is in cinemas now, having been released on 20 June.

This story first appeared in PFangirl.