Questions

What is the plot?

Elio Solís, an eleven-year-old boy, is orphaned after the death of his parents and goes to live with his aunt Olga, an Air Force major who gave up her astronaut dreams to raise him. Elio visits an air and space museum where he is fascinated by the Voyager 1 spacecraft and the possibility of alien life.

Years later, Elio becomes obsessed with the idea of being abducted by aliens. He spends his days lying on the beach hoping for contact. One night, two local boys, Bryce and his bully friend Caleb, tamper with Elio’s ham radio, leading to a fight that injures Elio’s left eye. He must wear an eye patch for two weeks.

Elio sneaks into an emergency meeting at Olga’s Air Force base where conspiracy theorist Gunther Melmac claims aliens have responded to Voyager 1. Olga and her colleagues dismiss Melmac’s claims. Elio uses Melmac’s device to send a message back to the aliens, causing a power outage at the base and nearly costing Olga her job. Frustrated, Olga sends Elio to a youth camp, where Bryce and Caleb are also present.

At camp, Elio tries to punch Bryce but is suddenly abducted by a massive alien spaceship. Onboard, he meets an alien named OOOOOO and is thrilled by the encounter. Meanwhile, Olga receives a call from the spaceship but suspects something is off about the being who answers, thinking it is not truly Elio.

The spaceship lands in the Communiverse, an intergalactic council where aliens from many worlds gather to share knowledge. The aliens use a clone of Elio to induct him and invite him to run for the position of Earth’s ambassador. Elio’s rival for the role is Lord Grigon, a warmongering alien who threatens to kill all the aliens in the Communiverse if he is not accepted.

Elio attempts to negotiate peace with Lord Grigon to earn the ambassador role immediately. However, during the negotiation, Elio accidentally insults Grigon by calling him a bad father, which angers him further. Elio tries to escape but encounters Grigon’s son, Glordon, who is peaceful and innocent. Elio decides to use Glordon to his advantage to make Grigon leave the Communiverse.

Together, Elio and Glordon return to the Communiverse and confront Grigon. They negotiate terms that force Grigon to leave the Communiverse on the condition that Glordon does not become a warlord like his father. This resolves the crisis and secures Elio’s place among the aliens.

Throughout the adventure, Elio forms new bonds with the eccentric alien lifeforms and navigates the intergalactic crisis. He also embarks on a journey of self-discovery to understand who he truly is and where he belongs.

What is the ending?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

At the end of Elio (2025), Elio successfully negotiates peace between the Communiverse and the warlike Lord Grigon, securing a future for the intergalactic council. He returns to Earth having formed meaningful bonds with alien friends, especially Glordon, Lord Grigon’s son, and embraces his own identity and place in the universe.

Now, a detailed scene-by-scene narration of the ending:

The climax unfolds as Elio, mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador, faces Lord Grigon, a fierce alien emperor who has been excluded from the Communiverse and threatens to destroy it. Elio volunteers to negotiate with Grigon to prevent an intergalactic war. Despite his youth and inexperience, Elio approaches the negotiation with determination.

In the negotiation chamber, Elio attempts various bargaining tactics, most of which fail to sway Lord Grigon’s aggressive stance. The tension escalates as Grigon demands recognition and power. However, Elio’s genuine kindness and courage become apparent when he connects with Glordon, Grigon’s son, who is peaceful and reluctant to follow his father’s warlike path.

Glordon agrees to become Elio’s hostage, a gesture to avoid becoming a warlord like his father. This act of trust softens the conflict’s edge. Elio uses this bond to appeal to Grigon’s better nature, emphasizing peace and coexistence within the Communiverse.

Following this, the Communiverse council members, initially skeptical of Elio, recognize his bravery and the sincerity of his mission. They accept Glordon’s peaceful stance and agree to reintegrate Lord Grigon under terms that prevent further hostility.

With the crisis averted, Elio prepares to return to Earth. The final scenes show him saying heartfelt goodbyes to his new alien friends, especially Glordon, symbolizing the lasting connections he has made beyond his home planet.

Back on Earth, Elio reunites with his Aunt Olga, who has supported him throughout his journey. Elio’s experience has helped him grow from a lonely, space-obsessed boy into a confident individual who understands his own identity and place in the universe.

The fate of the main characters at the end:

  • Elio Solís returns to Earth, having gained confidence and a sense of belonging through his intergalactic adventure.

  • Glordon, Lord Grigon’s son, remains with the Communiverse as a symbol of peace and hope for a less violent future.

  • Lord Grigon is reintegrated into the Communiverse under peaceful terms, his threat neutralized but his presence acknowledged.

  • Aunt Olga continues her role as Elio’s guardian, proud of his growth and newfound maturity.

This ending highlights themes of acceptance, courage, and the power of connection across differences, as Elio navigates both personal loss and cosmic responsibility. The story closes on a hopeful note, with Elio embracing who he is and the vast possibilities ahead.

Is there a post-credit scene?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

Yes, the 2025 movie Elio has two post-credit scenes.

The mid-credits scene shows Elio back on Earth, maintaining contact with his alien friend Glordon and his new human friend Bryce. They use technology to communicate, confirming that Elio’s intergalactic friendships endure beyond his space adventure. This scene also reveals that the Communiverse ship’s return to Earth was witnessed, making alien life known to some people on Earth. It sets up potential future storylines or a sequel by suggesting Elio might take on an ambassador role between humans and aliens.

The post-credits scene is a teaser for Pixar’s next film, Hoppers. It features a green lizard interacting with a smartphone, repeatedly pressing the "lizard" emoji, accompanied by an audio message saying "Lizard, lizard, lizard." This scene is a playful inversion of Pixar’s usual tradition of showing teasers before the main feature, instead placing it after the credits in Elio.

What causes Elio to be mistaken for the intergalactic ambassador of Earth?

Elio sends a message to aliens using a device at his aunt Olga's Air Force base, which causes a power outage and leads the Communiverse to mistakenly identify him as Earth's leader after they intercept the message.

Who is Glordon and what is his relationship with Elio?

Glordon is the son of Lord Grigon, a warlord alien. Elio befriends Glordon, who agrees to be Elio's hostage to avoid becoming a warlord like his father, forming a key bond in the story.

What role does Aunt Olga play in Elio's life and the story?

Aunt Olga is Elio's guardian after his parents' death. She is an Air Force major who gave up her astronaut dreams to raise him. She sends Elio to a youth military camp to help him learn discipline after his rebellious behavior.

How does Elio's behavior affect his relationship with Olga and others?

Elio exhibits bad habits like lying, breaking rules, and skipping school, which strain his relationship with Olga. His actions, such as hijacking military equipment and causing power outages, lead Olga to send him to a military camp, which Elio initially resents.

What is the nature of the conflict involving Lord Grigon in the film?

Lord Grigon is a warmongering alien emperor who was expelled from the Communiverse and threatens to destroy the intergalactic council. Elio volunteers to negotiate with him, but most of his tactics fail, leading to the alliance with Glordon to avoid war.

Is this family friendly?

The movie Elio (2025) is generally family friendly and rated PG for some mild action/peril and thematic elements. It contains no sex, nudity, profanity, or drug/alcohol use (though a character drinks wine with dinner and an alien beverage causes vomiting).

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects for children or sensitive viewers include:

  • Mild violence: Scenes of a character getting punched (cut off before graphic), a bloody nose, a finger accidentally cut off (no graphic blood), and some bullying leading to a bruised eye.
  • Mild frightening/intense scenes: Encounters with aliens bent on destruction, arguments about feeling alone, and some scary moments.
  • Themes: Dealing with loss of parents, feelings of loneliness, lying, breaking rules, and struggles with self-esteem.
  • Some mild language: Name-calling and a “poop emoji” text.
  • Behavioral issues: Skipping school, staying out late, hijacking military equipment, and breaking laws to rescue a friend.

Overall, Elio is a visually engaging, emotionally touching film suitable for most children with parental guidance recommended especially for younger or sensitive kids due to the mild violence, thematic depth, and some scary scenes.

Who dies?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

Yes, characters do die in the movie Elio (2025), but the deaths are not of main characters and are not described in detail. The key characters such as Elio, his aunt Olga, and his alien friend Glordon do not die. Olga is willing to sacrifice herself to save Glordon but does not actually die. Elio himself risks his life to rescue Glordon but survives and is honored by the alien Communiverse for his self-sacrificial love.

The movie features a clone of Elio created by the aliens, which ultimately sacrifices itself in the story's climax. This clone replaces Elio temporarily and is reliable and compliant, but Olga realizes it is not the real Elio. The clone’s final act is a self-sacrifice to protect others, which is a significant emotional moment in the film.

The antagonist Lord Grigon threatens violence and destruction but is ultimately stopped through Elio’s negotiation and the help of Grigon’s son Glordon. There is no indication that Grigon or Glordon die in the film.

In summary:

  • No main characters die (Elio, Olga, Glordon survive).
  • Elio’s clone sacrifices itself near the end to protect others.
  • Olga is willing to sacrifice herself but does not die.
  • The villain Lord Grigon is defeated but not killed.

The film focuses on themes of self-sacrifice, love, and peace rather than character deaths.