'Elio' explores friendship and belonging across the stars

Amidst a political crisis involving a Lord Grigon who seeks to conquer the galaxy, Elio befriends his son Glordon, who is friendly and does not wish to take over his dad's throne, let alone be his minion.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

His hunch is correct: there are aliens, and they have abducted him. But the aliens, very far off from the typical Area 51 stereotypes, didn't abduct a random boy. They thought they picked up the leader of Earth, abruptly putting intergalactic diplomatic responsibilities on an 11-year-old in a fake-it-till-you-make-it scenario.

"Elio" is a larger-than-life journey of self-discovery as he finds his place in the wider universe and questions whether his life is in space or back on Earth, where he feels like an outsider in his own home.

Throughout its hour-and-a-half runtime, which unfolds both in space and on Earth, the film takes a while to find its footing, with the plot finally connecting the dots in the third act. This may turn off some viewers who prefer a faster-paced story.

Even with its sizable length, it's surprisingly a bit of a slow-burn for a Pixar film, which makes sense, given the character-driven nature of the story, where Elio's decisions have consequences.