Elio Movie Review: A visually spectacular drama content with its simplistic, yet engaging screenplay

For centuries, humans and several other living beings have formed an emotional attachment with their 'homes'—a term that continues to evolve with a multitude of meanings. With migration, they adapted to a place, its community, and made a home that fit their idea of what a home should be. However, Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab), our dear protagonist of Pixar's latest film, rejects his connections with every mortal being on Earth and is ready to be 'abducted' by aliens to make a home on any unnamed planet. Grappling with lack of belongingness and a very possible depressive episode following the death of his parents, Elio is convinced nobody wants him on planet Earth, not even his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña) who takes care of him. "There are so many planets in the universe and someone has to get me because you clearly don't want me," screams Elio, even as Olga struggles with parenting and how to appropriately text her nephew. It's chuckle-worthily sad as his emotional processor is singularly focussed on catapulting himself away from his home to make it elsewhere in the event of losing everyone he ever loved. The moral quandary of finding a tiny material home in the cosmic universe versus searching for people to make a home is the beating heart of Elio—and these collective big questions, which challenge the minds of children and adults alike, are what makes Pixar films truly relatable.

Director: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina

Cast: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, and Jameela Jamil

Elio fits the Pixar mould, although it doesn't take the deep route that Soul followed. From his exploration of Voyager 1 to his adventure to the 'Communiverse' where the best minds of creatures from across the universe gather together, the visuals are extravagant and straight out of a child's vivid imagination projected on a sketchbook. Bullied and disrespected, Elio is so desperate to meet new creatures, forge a new identity, and reclaim his lost confidence that he wants a lifetime membership as an ambassador in the Communiverse. This identity crisis continues to feature in many Disney and Pixar films, including last year's Inside Out 2. However, Elio, who clearly has an additional layer of some sort of neurodivergence, also loves to put on an artificial cape and call himself a hero who he never was. Thus begins his test of holding negotiations with Lord Grigon, a Hylurgian, who threatens to summon chaos upon the Communiverse.

It is a shame for Pixar to make a role like Elio and not include his additional layer of neurodivergence that would resonate with millions of audiences worldwide. Leaving that aside for a minute, scientists have often deduced for decades that intergalactic species are far more advanced in civilisation and technology than humans. Some of these advancements are seen here in blobs of supercomputers (one cutely named OOOO (Shirley Henderson)), which are like ChatGPT in liquid holograph forms; Questa, an ambassador with the ability to read minds; and the Hylurgians themselves, who are worm-like creatures with powerful high-tech machinery and armours. Each has a unique personality, and Elio's friendship with Glordon is the most heartwarming of all.

With all the discussion around Alpha males, protecting masculinity and dangers of the manosphere, especially in the wake of Adolescence, Pixar has taken the boldest move of taking a stance against toxic masculinity and underlining that true love can only be felt when you are  ready to shed those layers. But Elio's mission to save the Communiverse is not without its flaws. We hardly get any character insights about Aunt Olga or her personal struggles of sacrificing her dreams to take care of Elio, and we do not get a deeper look into their relationship. His journey of understanding belonging and finding his place on Earth feels far too convenient, and rushed, leaving a void that could be filled with a more nuanced screenplay.

The universe in Elio is stunning, but it feels like the makers took the easier route of creating colourful characters to relate with younger audiences rather than sending you to a place where it could be truly deeply felt. Elio isn't the movie that Pixar promised its audiences two years back. With production delays and directorial changes, the story has diverged significantly from its original vision, yet Elio does not go unmemorable. And in that sense, Elio captures the untamed nature of a child's dream.

The film and its titular protagonist are both flawed, yet they manage to offer an experience to audiences that somehow finds a place in the vastness of the brain. Like Elemental, Elio is simplistic, but beyond its engaging visuals, the film offers a vibrant world of twinkling stars, tentacle-headed aliens, and worm-like Hylurgians ready for discovery.