Rating: PG | Runtime: 98 minutes
Release Date: June 20th, 2025 (USA)
Studio: Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Director(s): Madeline Sharafian & Domee Shi / Adrian Molina (original director)
Writer(s): Julia Cho, Mark Hammer & Mike Jones / Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi & Julia Cho (story)

Okay. Bye. I love you!

The joke that Elio keeps saying he’s “shredded” as proof of having quality leadership qualifications definitely hits differently after reading reports that Pixar brass systematically removed all potential “queer-coded” content from the character to make him more “masculine.”

That the film ultimately still excels as a fun and heartfelt journey towards belonging for two characters who feel like outsiders in their own home (Elio) and culture (Glordon) is surely a testament to the autobiographical bones original director Adrian Molina imbued by basing the entire film on his experience growing up on military bases and finally finding his community at CalArts (where he began developing the story). He eventually left the project to focus on Coco 2.

I understand why the label “generic” has been thrown around due to the finished product being mostly stripped of its queerness and Latinx representation—save a couple throwaway words in Spanish (America Ferrera left shortly after Molina), but I don’t think it fails on its own merits. Yes, it could have been more memorably unique and, yes, that sort of creative sabotage is an abhorrent practice, but this is still pretty solid.

Global ham radio enthusiasts who just so happen to also be genius physicists for the win.

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SPACING OUT – When Elio’s wish to be abducted by aliens actually comes true, he meets an array of space inhabitants, including liquid supercomputer Ooooo and Glordon, the tender-hearted son of a fierce warlord ruler. Featuring the voices of Shirley Henderson, Yonas Kibreab and Remy Edgerly as as Ooooo, Elio and Glordon, respectively, Disney and Pixar’s “Elio” releases in theaters June 20, 2025. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.