August 14th: Elio
Elio
Released: 2025
Directed by: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett. Jameela Jamil
Is it strange to like a movie where you enjoy every character except the main character? And while you understand their flaws and why they do what they do, it still annoys you? That is my experience with Elio. Elio Solis is a young boy who lost his parents at a very young age and is now living with his aunt Olga, a major in the Air Force. His loss makes him feel disconnected from the world. He wants to leave and go to space, all while feeling isolated from his aunt, who is not prepared to have to raise a child. Elio then gets his opportunity to leave when he is taken up to a sort of space United Nations called the Communiverse, where he is treated as the leader of Earth.
Elio’s loneliness, isolation, and despair are completely understandable. My issue is that the person who feels that way would also be his aunt, who lost a sibling. His absolute disdain for his aunt is painful to watch. I am not saying it is unrealistic, more that it points to a need for him to have therapy — perhaps family therapy with his aunt. His grief and disconnect drive the story and every decision he makes, including his poor ones. Again, I understand that they are portraying a child who has lost so much; I just wish they could have had a more direct conversation. It frustrates me when a movie’s whole storyline moves forward because of the lack of just one conversation.
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When you have Elio being put into an ambassadorial position in the Communiverse, it reminds me of the way people talk online. There are real consequences for your actions, even if you don’t see them. Again, it is completely reasonable for an eleven-year-old kid to not grasp the gravity of the situation he is in. But this makes for better storytelling in my view because he is wielding immense power and dealing with negotiations between a warlord and a peaceful congregation of various alien races. It is literally life or death, and he doesn’t quite take it seriously enough. Like when people talk online, especially when it comes to bullying, it is life or death; people just don’t always consider the consequences.
Small Observations:
- Glordon, who becomes Elio’s friend, is honestly great. He has an adorable design, a charming personality, and a genuinely wholesome relationship with Elio.
- There is a scene toward the end when Elio and Olga need help from some ham radio operators, and people from all over the world give them guidance. In the world today, with so much division and strife, a scene like that hits just right emotionally.
- The making of this movie has an interesting, and rather sad, backstory. Adrian Molina was the original director of the movie. Part of his story was having Elio be not just queer-coded, but fully a queer character with a love interest and characteristics like a love of fashion. But Pixar pushed back on that, and Molina left the project. Pixar chair Pete Docter was quoted as saying, “We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars in therapy,” in regard to the changes. To me, that is a bit of a flippant response to the desire to see more representation of groups of people not normally found in children’s entertainment. I will focus my thoughts on the movie I watched, but it is sad that the original concept wasn’t followed through on.
- MCU actors: 2
Overall Rank: A
The story has heart and a sweet message. Main character issues aside, it promotes community, family, friendship and love as combatants with loneliness, isolation, disconnection and grief. Recommended.
