There have been times when I’ve never felt more alone than when I was surrounded by the people who love me. Pixar’s new animated adventure Elio will warm the hearts of anyone who’s ever felt like they were on the outside looking in. Co-directors Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, and Domee Shi have created a whimsical, heartfelt ode to the socially awkward, brimming with dazzling sci-fi spectacle.

We spend most of our childhood with our heads in the clouds, but Elio’s (Yonas Kibreab) head is off among the stars. Elio spends his days and nights obsessing over outer space and hoping aliens will abduct him.

And who can blame him after his parents died and he was shipped off to live on a military base with his caring, though overwhelmed, aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña). Elio is an unusual kid, and struggles to connect with others, especially Olga. His single-minded obsession with contacting aliens prevents him from forging meaningful earthbound connections.

On one fateful night, Elio’s dreams come true. A galactic federation of alien civilizations known as the Communiverse attempts to contact humanity, and Olga’s research team picks up the signal. A wide-eyed Elio intercepts the message and responds, inadvertently becoming the sole ambassador for all of humanity. 

However, once the Communiverse beams Elio up into their world he discovers things aren’t all fun and games. After misrepresenting himself as Earth’s leader, he’s thrust into a diplomatic crisis with the Hylurgian, a warmongering species denied entry into the Communiverse. Suddenly, this loner child must learn to forge unlikely bonds before the tyrannical Hylurgian Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) lays waste to the Communiverse.

Like all great Pixar films, Elio entertains on multiple levels. Kids will gobble up the film’s spectacular sci-fi imagery, cutesy alien creatures, and wacky humour. While grownups may contemplate the film’s themes of loneliness, obsession, and alienation.

Tonally and visually, Elio feels like two different movies. The earthbound opening section deals with Elio’s struggle to fit in. These sequences are reminiscent of classic Amblin movies like E.T. and The Goonies, tales about emotionally distraught kids thrust into a high-stakes adventure. In these stories, the adult world is as mystifying and threatening as any supernatural encounter. And it’s here in these earth-bound segments where the film is at its most endearing. 

The rest of the movie focuses on Elio engaging in cosmic hijinks. Elio becomes a fish-out-of-water tale in the spirit of madcap sci-fi adventures like Rick and Morty and Doctor Who. These scenes follow Elio and his newfound pal, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), as they bond over turning an alien space station into their own personal playground. It’s all fun and imaginative, but I found myself pining to return to the unresolved drama back on Earth. 

Parents take note: the film’s firehose blast of psychedelic visuals and high-octane pacing wore me out by the end. However, 12-year-old me would have walked out of the theatre and snagged another ticket immediately. And yes, Elio is worth seeing on the biggest screen possible because this film delivers A-grade eye candy. Expect sweeping shots of shimmering nebulas, luminous alien tech, and a menagerie of creatures so bizarre they would make Guillermo del Toro giddy.

I’m an easy mark for any movie about UFOs, alien abductions, and government cover-ups. So Elio has been on my radar for quite a while. And as much as I enjoyed it, the film’s emotional undercurrent hit home harder than its actual plot. Years from now I won’t recall much about Lord Grigon or the politics of the Communiverse, but Elio’s message about heartache and alienation will remain top of mind.

I would gladly watch this film if it was just about an orphaned boy bonding with his overstretched aunt. I admire the film’s depiction of obsession — Elio’s fascination with space —  as a coping mechanism for grief. The film cleverly literalizes that feeling of seeing others navigate social situations with ease in areas where you flounder. But what resonates most is the film’s theme of acceptance.

Elio and Olga’s story highlights the delicate push and pull between our innate yearning to connect and our crippling fear of rejection. It shows us how embracing our “quirks” rather than hiding them, sends out a signal to kindred spirits. Like a beacon in the night sky, our authenticity draws in those capable of understanding the purest version of who we are.

Elio will speak to anyone who’s ever felt out of sync with the world around them. It captures the quiet ache of feeling alone in a crowded room, gently reminding us that the people in our orbit aren’t always equipped to understand us. Being the boldest, brightest, most authentic version of you means becoming an alien and exploring brave new worlds which exist outside of other people’s comfort zones. In the end, there may be nothing more liberatingly human than feeling like an alien from time to time.

Elio opens exclusively in theatres June 20.