Overview

• Elio Solis, voiced by Yonas Kibreab, becomes Earth’s accidental ambassador after his ham radio messages summon the alien Communiverse.
• Directors Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian and Adrian Molina draw on inspirations from Carl Sagan, Roald Dahl and Steven Spielberg to craft a story celebrating outsider identity.
• Critics applaud the film’s imaginative world-building and colorful alien designs but criticize its familiar plot and predictability for adult audiences.
• Central themes of loneliness, grief and the search for belonging play out through Elio’s evolving relationship with his aunt and his friendship with the alien Glordon.
• Released on June 20, the film has polarized reviewers who praise its visual splendor and core messages yet find its emotional resonance falls short of Pixar’s best.