Elio
Review by Ryan Michael Painter
If you’ve followed any film criticism, commentary, or simply have two eyes and a reasonable sense of observation you’ll know that the movie industry is lacking original ideas. What you might not have realized is that part of the reason we keep seeing remakes and sequels is because audiences don’t go and see original films. As of today, the only original title in the worldwide top 10 in 2025 is Sinners.
I submit for your consideration Pixar’s original film Elio.
**NOTE: You can read Ryan’s review below, then listen or watch as he and Mark discuss the film in more depth. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Adrian Molina, Domee Shi
Written by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones
Synopsis:
For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film “Elio,” the universe calls back! The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. So, when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.
Elio is an orphan in his early teens who lives with his aunt Olga. Olga has set aside her hopes and dreams to take care of Elio. Nonetheless, Elio believes that Olga doesn’t love him and has set his heart on being abducted by aliens.
When Elio’s dream comes true, he quickly learns that the aliens have mistaken him for Earth’s leader. Too ashamed to admit the truth, Elio does his best to fake it. His inexperience leads to what can be best describe as an intergalactic disaster.
Elio is an interesting character in that he is sympathetic, but not entirely without fault due to the numerous naïve, selfish, and otherwise disastrous decisions that he makes. You like him, but you really love his potential.
Elio might not be top-shelf Pixar, but it isn’t far off. It features an engaging story with a proper character arc for more than just the title character. There’s plenty of action, comedy, and heart to make this a film that audiences of all ages can relate to. It entertains and educates. It also feels like a film that is going to get lost in the shadow of How to Train Your Dragon. It is a film that deserves a much better fate.
I can’t make you go to the theater to see Elio, but I would if I could. I’m not asking you to support Elio because it is an original story. I am asking you to support the film because it is a good original story and we need more of them to keep cinema exciting and relevant.
Elio is now in theaters and features the voices of Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, and Remy Edgerly.
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