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Pixar’s Elio premiered on March 7, 2025, as a heartfelt sci-fi adventure blending cosmic wonder with emotional storytelling. The movie follows 11-year-old Elio Solís, a lonely but imaginative boy who accidentally becomes Earth's intergalactic ambassador after being beamed into the Communiverse, an alien alliance that thinks he built the Voyager spacecraft.
Voiced by Yonas Kibreab, Elio navigates alien diplomacy, bonds with a warlord’s son, and discovers the strength of connection and identity. America Ferrera voices Olga, Elio’s devoted aunt and an Air Force scientist who sacrificed her dreams to raise him. The film marks Pixar’s continued evolution, using its new Luna lighting toolset and a visually inventive “College Project” to bring space to life.
For those who connect with its themes, many other Pixar films offer the same emotional storytelling, strong characters, and journeys of self-discovery.
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Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion.
More Pixar movies to watch similar to Elio
1) Inside Out (2015)
Inside Out is a film about growing up and learning how to deal with new experiences and situations. It's about an 11-year-old girl named Riley and how she handles her family moving from Minnesota to San Francisco. Fear, Anger, Joy, Sadness, and Disgust are the five emotions that are attempting to assist her in understanding her insane thoughts.
Joy and Sadness are lost in Riley's memory bank, and the other emotions can't keep her steady, so she pulls away. When Joy finds out that Sadness is necessary for healing and connection, the movie's emotional depth immediately appears. Riley's internal journey is similar to Elio's cosmic excursion in that it looks at identity, belonging, and emotional growth.
2) Coco (2017)
Coco is also about family, identity, and cultural roots. Miguel is a little boy who wants to be a singer, but his family doesn't allow music in any way. On his journey to the Land of the Dead, he learns about himself and the history of his family.
In both films, the main characters are young boys who feel like no one gets them, but are also very unique. A cosmic union or a spirit world are just a few of the fantasy worlds that are used in these movies to talk about personal truth and purpose.
The complicated but caring relationship Miguel has with his family in Coco is similar to the relationship between a mother and her son in Elio.
3) WALL·E (2008)
Despite its limited language, WALL·E delivers a strong message about humanity, loneliness, and connection. The plot revolves around a little robot placed on a filthy Earth to clean up rubbish. Their lives transform when they encounter another robot named Eve. They decide to embark on a journey throughout the cosmos together.
WALL·E merges scientific fiction with emotional narrative. In both movies, some characters feel alone but find value in the relationships they have. WALL·E went from being a lonely computer to a hero who sparks change, and Elio's journey to becoming Earth's ambassador is a lot like that.
4) Brave (2012)
Brave follows Merida, a strong-willed Scottish princess who defies convention to pursue her path. When a spell goes wrong and turns her mother into a bear, Merida has to fix their relationship and learn what real bravery is. The film is directed by Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews.
Brave is similar to Elio in that it follows a young person trying to figure out who they are while dealing with a complicated connection with a parent. As a strange depiction of Earth, Elio is launched into space. Merida challenges her societal expectations as a queen in an attempt to alter her destiny.
Brave doesn't transport viewers to other galaxies, but it does take them on an equally strong emotional journey centered on family and personal growth.
5) Lightyear (2022)
Viewers drawn to Elio by its space-faring visuals and sci-fi setting naturally gravitate towards Lightyear. This spin-off tells the origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy from the Toy Story franchise. Voiced by Chris Evans, Buzz is portrayed as a brave Space Ranger dealing with time dilation, loss, and the burden of saving his crew.
Both films blend action, comedy, and emotion in a cosmic backdrop. Buzz has a list of things to accomplish, while Elio accidentally becomes a cosmic diplomat. Both characters need to get over their doubts and loneliness. The graphics in each movie are stunning, and they also have vital lessons about responsibility, bravery, and sacrifice.
Though one is a young boy and the other a trained ranger, both protagonists evolve through experiences that test their character.
6) Turning Red (2022)
Mei Lee is a 13-year-old girl who turns into a gigantic red panda when she feels intense emotions. Domee Shi directed the movie, which shows how challenging it is to match what your family wants with what you want as a teenager.
The symbolic transition in Turning Red is like the ones Elio goes through on his voyage across space. Mei is going through adolescence and dealing with her history, while Elio is trying to figure out who he is in a cosmos that suddenly sees him as a metaphor for Earth.
Both characters are changing a lot at this age and need love and acceptance to cope. Turning Red has the same emotional energy because of its bright animation and strange tone.
7) Luca (2021)
The story of Luca takes place in a charming coastal town on the Italian Riviera. The monster is a juvenile sea monster that acts like a person to see what it's like to be a person. The story explores themes of making friends, having new experiences, and the fear of being different. Luca and Alberto, a different sea monster, become friends.
Both of the main characters exhibit curiosity, fear the unknown, and yearn for understanding. Luca's double life is like Elio's sudden contact with the outside world. They are both different, want to fit in, and find power in friendship and love.
Pixar’s Elio is available for online streaming on Disney Plus.
