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Common Sense Media Review

Heartfelt, romantic fable about immigrant experience.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Pixar's Elemental is a beautifully animated fable about the immigrant experience. It's set in Element City, where fire, earth, water, and air people coexist, but fire people are mistreated and discriminated against. That makes it hard for fiery Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis) to trust…

Why Age 6+?

Many explosive bursts of fire, especially when Ember loses her temper. A couple

A married couple hold hands and embrace. Lots of romantic moments between main c

"Dang," "what the...," and a couple of curse-word stand-ins, like "ash" ("lazy a

Nothing on-screen, but plenty of off-screen merchandise tie-ins include apparel,

Any Positive Content?

Focuses on importance of compassion, empathy, and perseverance. Encourages hones

Ember is a loyal, loving daughter to devoted parents who believe her dream is to

Diverse voice cast includes Chinese American actor Leah Lewis; Mamoudou Athie, w

Even though it's a fantasy, the movie serves as an allegory to teach viewers abo

Violence & Scariness

Many explosive bursts of fire, especially when Ember loses her temper. A couple of upsetting scenes show how a natural disaster involving water destroyed a lot of Fireland's homes and endangered its people. Rushing water/large waves also put characters in danger, nearly destroy the fire community in Element City, and seem to kill one character ( spoiler alert : they aren't dead!). In general, fire characters can cause damage to other elements if they get too close, and water characters can snuff out (usually temporarily, but occasionally for good) fire characters. A dying grandmother's wish is recalled (she seems to disintegrate into ash when her time is up). Yelling, arguments.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A married couple hold hands and embrace. Lots of romantic moments between main characters Ember and Wade. They spend a lot of time together; a few pivotal scenes of them trying to touch and then successfully touching, dancing, embracing. They kiss briefly. Two trees who are spotted plucking fruit from each other realize they've been caught and say it's "just a little pruning," which is repeated later in a jokey way. A few other couples are spotted on dates holding hands, hugging and even kissing (including in the end-credit sequence). A character says "you're so hot" and "you're smoking," but he means it literally, not in the suggestive way the fire character initially believes. A young tree character flirts with Ember and later another girl.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Dang," "what the...," and a couple of curse-word stand-ins, like "ash" ("lazy ash") and "fluffing," etc. Also "stupid," "crazy," "jerk," "dang," "oh gosh," "holy dewdrop," "God" (as an exclamation), "hanky panky," and element-based insults like "fireball" and "cloudpuffs." Language that makes it clear that other elements discriminate against fire people -- like "you don't have an accent," "go back to Fireland," and "you don't belong here."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Nothing on-screen, but plenty of off-screen merchandise tie-ins include apparel, toys, figurines, games, books, and household goods.

Positive Messages

Focuses on importance of compassion, empathy, and perseverance. Encourages honest communication between parents and children, as well as romantic partners. Following your dreams while remaining loyal to your family and honoring your parents is a major theme, as is idea that people should be sensitive to others' cultural/racial background, upbringing, and class. Explores the tension between privilege and duty.

Positive Role Models

Ember is a loyal, loving daughter to devoted parents who believe her dream is to take over the family business. She struggles with her temper, but she uses mindfulness techniques to control it (with mixed results). She isn't particularly open-minded at first but learns to appreciate the rest of the elements and how the Fire folks can learn to collaborate and coexist with them. Wade is sensitive, emotional, and kind. He and his family cry easily and are more open with one another. He comes from a position of privilege but is open-minded (and open-hearted). Ember's parents have sacrificed a lot for her, and they want her to have a successful, happy life.

Diverse Representations

Diverse voice cast includes Chinese American actor Leah Lewis; Mamoudou Athie, who's Black; Filipino actor Ronnie del Carmen; Iranian-born actor Shila Ommi. Both director Peter Sohn and writer Brenda Hsueh are Asian American. The elements (fire, water, earth, air) are essentially stand-ins for human racial/ethnic immigrant and refugee groups in a caste system (with fire, whose cultural markers seem meant to suggest those of Middle Eastern countries, seemingly the outcasts). Characters use unwelcoming phrases that have parallels with racist/classist statements -- e.g., "elements don't mix," "go back to Fireland," "Fire doesn't belong here," etc. Ember's parents are given new names by officials who can't pronounce their real names when they first arrive in Element City, and a water character says "you speak so well and clearly" to Ember, who clearly considers it a microaggression, since she grew up speaking the same language as the water family. (The water character looks embarrassed by his comment.) Wade has a queer relative whose girlfriend is introduced to Ember at a family dinner.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Educational Value

Even though it's a fantasy, the movie serves as an allegory to teach viewers about the immigrant experience, discrimination, segregation, and cross-cultural relationships.

Parents need to know that Pixar's Elemental is a beautifully animated fable about the immigrant experience. It's set in Element City, where fire, earth, water, and air people coexist, but fire people are mistreated and discriminated against. That makes it hard for fiery Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis ) to trust watery Wade ( Mamoudou Athie ), but as they work together to save her family's store, Ember starts to open her mind to the idea of cross-element friendship (and more!) while also teaching Wade about the injustices the fire folks have faced. There's more romance here than in non-princess Disney Pixar films, but Ember and Wade are young adults, not kids or teens. Characters hold hands, flirt, embrace, dance, touch, and kiss briefly. Language includes discriminatory comments said to fire folks (such as "go back to Fireland"), as well as insults like "stupid" and "jerk" and swearing stand-ins (e.g., "lazy ash"). Diversity and immigration are major themes of the story, as are prejudice; the importance of communication, empathy, and compassion; and the unique challenges faced by the children of immigrants and refugees. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (57)
• Kids say (59)

Based on 57 parent reviews

Fun film that's not really for sub 13 y/os

What's the story.

ELEMENTAL is set in Element City, where water, earth, air, and fire people live together -- but the fire folks have been discriminated against and mostly live separately from the other elements, in their own community. The movie opens with a fire couple arriving at an Ellis Island-like processing center, where they're dubbed Cinder (voiced by Shila Ommi) and Bernie ( Ronnie del Carmen ) Lumen because the agent who helps them can't understand their actual names. They eventually have a baby girl named Ember and buy a rundown building that they fix up to be both their home and their livelihood: a thriving convenience store that becomes a neighborhood hub. Ember grows up knowing that she'll eventually run the shop, although she has trouble tamping down her temper with difficult customers. As a young adult, Ember ( Leah Lewis ) is on the cusp of proving that she's ready to manage the store, but one of her hotheaded outbursts causes Wade Ripple ( Mamoudou Athie ), an emotional water guy, to get pulled in through the pipes. Wade turns out to be a government inspector, who feels duty bound to file a pile of citations, which will close the shop if they go through. Determined to keep the crisis a secret from her aging parents, Ember teams up with Wade to find a way to save the store. During their time together, they encourage each other and start to wonder whether different elements can mix, despite what they've always been taught.

Is It Any Good?

Director Peter Sohn 's beautifully animated allegory is a simple but sweet story that brings the immigrant journey and the first-generation experience to vibrant life. While the film's plot isn't quite as robust as those of Disney Pixar's most famous adventures, Elemental does touchingly delve into the challenges and triumphs of being the child of refugees and growing up immersed in a culturally homogenous community. It shows both the comfort and strength of being around your own people and the fact that wider society can be prejudiced. Ember's dilemma -- whether to sacrifice her own feelings in order to honor her parents or to follow her own desires but risk hurting those who raised her -- is authentic, if oversimplified. The nuances are right: Ember wants to be a "good daughter," to fulfill her duty, to take up the mantle from her stressed and tired father. But as she explores Element City, gets to know Wade, and discovers her more artistic side (she's a talented glass blower), she must figure out whether her future contains more possibilities than she imagined.

Lewis and Athie are both well cast, embodying two opposing examples of young adulthood -- one focused on pleasing their parents by pursuing a specific goal and the other willing to flit from job to job until they find "their thing." The parents' voices -- including Wade's widowed mom, voiced by the inimitable Catherine O'Hara -- are also expressive and humorous. And the movie's dating aspects are tender, if a little obvious. Wade and Ember's opposites-attract chemistry is funny until it's clear that Ember really is concerned that her family will disown her if she dates a "water guy." Wade's family, by contrast, is immediately Team Ember, heartily welcoming her (albeit a bit awkwardly, thanks to the clueless old uncle who makes a mildly racist comment). The main characters' slow-burn (pun intended) relationship aside, Elemental has astonishingly gorgeous and detailed animation. The various element folks are vividly colorful, with visceral textures and fantastic (and fantastical) landscapes and movements. The glass-making scenes are especially memorable, and the water-based disasters devastating. While the littlest viewers may not pick up on all of the story's nuances, they'll still understand the importance of inclusion, family, and love.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what Elemental has to say about the immigrant experience. How does Ember's situation embody what life can be like for immigrants' children?

Some of the movie's scenes are sad or scary. Is it OK for a kids' movie to not be cheerful and silly all the time? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?

The characters learn and demonstrate character strengths like compassion , perseverance , and empathy . Why are these important?

Discuss the quality of the animation in the movie. How do the details of the elements stand out?

How are race and discrimination addressed in the movie? What parallels can you see to our real life?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 16, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : September 26, 2023
• Cast : Leah Lewis , Mamoudou Athie , Ronnie Del Carmen
• Director : Peter Sohn
• Inclusion Information : Asian directors, Female actors, Black actors, Female writers, Asian writers
• Studio : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Friendship
• Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Empathy , Perseverance
• Run time : 103 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : some peril, thematic elements and brief language
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : August 3, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Reviewed by: Nicole Granath CONTRIBUTOR

“Elemental” draws inspiration from director Peter Sohn’s youth, growing up as the son of Korean immigrants in New York City during the 1970s, highlighting the city’s distinct cultural and ethnic diversity.

Director Sohn also has said, “This movie is about thanking your parents and understanding their sacrifices.”

What is LYING? What are the truly BIG lies of our world?

What is TRUTH? Answer

Anger in the Bible

Romance between opposites

While they cannot touch each other, Ember (fire) and Wade (water) protect their identity against strong men and women and their own family while they attempt to make their relationship work. If she touched the water, she would be extinguished.

Ember is portrayed as tough, quick-witted, and quick tempered.

Wade is portrayed as fun, sappy and very emotional—crying at the drop of a hat. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He goes with the flow.

The Disney Company’s history of inserting unnecessary homosexuality, transgenderism, politically correct identity politics, and occultism, into their films

T here’s some elements in our world—like Fire and Water—that just don’t mix well together… or do they? In Disney/Pixar’s latest kids’ film, we discover just that.

Ember Lumen has always helped her father serve customers at his beloved shop, the Fireplace, ever since she was a little girl. She has been told since childhood that she’ll be able to run the shop on her own one day, when she’s ready. Unfortunately, she often gets irritated with unreasonable or irksome customers, and threatens to blow her top—quite literally. Her dad has advice for controlling her anger , which seems to burn as hot as the unquenchable fire she is made from. Take a breath and form a connection with the customer, he advises. The only problem is, Ember’s anger is usually too far-gone to do this in the heat of the moment, and it ultimately ends in disaster.

On such an occasion, when she runs down into the basement of the shop to avoid letting her anger go too far, a string of problems arise. Little does she know that this moment will also be an important turning point in her journey, because this is when Wade Ripple shows up—and his arrival will soon produce a flood of new emotions and experiences in her young life.

Positive Elements

The names of the characters in this film are clever and creative. Ember Lumen is the main character, and she is made entirely of fire, as are her loving mother and father and all their friends, who are frequent customers at her father’s store.

Like Ember, Wade Ripple is also aptly named. He is composed completely of water, and so are his kind and compassionate mother and father and large extended family.

Both main characters come from loving homes with moms and dads who want what’s best for them. They both care about their families and want to please their parents.

When issues arise for Ember, Wade helps out as best he can, even to the extent of potentially allowing harm to come to himself. He is very self-sacrificing. It’s very important to him to help Ember realize her full potential, which is awesome to see. Wade really cares about the growth of Ember as a person and seeing her achieve her hopes and dreams in life.

Ember’s anger problem is addressed by her father, and he does not agree to let her take over his store until she learns how to control her outburts. It’s good to show children that it’s okay to be angry, but that we need to learn to control our anger and express it in healthy ways. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says,

“Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.”

James 1:19-20 declares,

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

Learning to control one’s anger is important, and this film highlights that, which is commendable.

Of course the movie leaves out something very important, which is that in order to be self-controlled, one must walk by the Spirit . “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh .” It is when we are not staying in step with the Holy Spirit that we are prone to let our “flesh” or sin nature reign. However, “Elemental” does show that angry outburts are not okay, and that there are consequences for not having self-control.

Although lying and deception are a part of the storyline, apologies are given, and the film does show that the actions of the characters do have consequences. Parents will need to discuss these plot points with their children and use discretion.

Expectations of parents is another prominent issue that comes up in the movie. Ember believes that her father’s dream in life is to see her take over his shop, and in time she realizes that she might have other talents that she wants to explore instead. Ember’s relationship with her father grows and evolves as she learns to respect and appreciate his sacrifices for her, while also acknowledging her own newly found abilities and aspirations.

Negative Elements

The phrase “lazy ash” is used once, and parents will understand the euphemism. Older kids may pick up on it as well. When something goes wrong and Ember gets upset, she yells “Flame!” as she leaves the shop, using it as a curse word. Ember mentions trying to fix a problem before her father notices.

Ember makes the decision to deceive her father and go against his wishes by spending time with Wade, even though she knows her father wouldn’t approve. The comment is made that, “He doesn’t have to know.” This hearkens back to other children in Disney movies who chose to lie and deceive their parents.

In “ The Little Mermaid ,” Ariel is forbidden from going to the shipwreck to learn any more about the human world. Her father tells her in no uncertain terms of his displeasure with her curiosity regarding the two-legged creatures above the ocean’s surface. Nevertheless, she rebels, bringing severe consequences upon herself and her family as a result.

In “The Lion King,” Simba’s father Mufasa tells him never to go to the shadowy area of the land, where there’s no light . But Simba ignores his father’s wisdom , much to the peril of Mufasa.

Rebellion is also portrayed in the 2015 film “ Inside Out .” When the main character, Riley, is heartbroken over her family’s move from the midwest to San Francisco, she gets on a bus and runs away from home.

The aforementioned Disney films showcase just a few examples of deception and rebellion of children towards their parents. This obviously isn’t anything new coming from Disney.

However, even when reading the Bible we can find examples of children deceiving their parents. Jacob deceived his father into thinking he was his brother Esau so that he could steal his father’s blessing ( Genesis 27 ). Of course, the Bible also tells children to honor and obey their parents.

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” — Colossians 3:20

The Bible does include true accounts of the actions of real humans, and these people did not always make righteous choices. So too, characters in films and books may not always act as they should, but if there are consequences to their actions, then hopefully that imparts an important lesson onto the viewer (for example, lying can get you in trouble with your parents, ruin your relationship with them, cause other negative events to transpire, and so on).

Wade asks the question, “Why does anyone get to tell you what you get to do in your life?” The rhetorical answer is that no one should be able to. According to society and culture, you should do as you please. But we know that children are commanded in the Bible to obey their parents. Ephesians 6:1 says,

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord , for this is right .”

Even as adults, we answer to a higher authority than ourselves. Yes, we are to obey the laws of the land, but even more than that, we should obey God and do His will. From a biblical standpoint, someone does get to tell us what to do, even as adults. As Christians, we believe in following in Jesus’ footsteps and doing the Lord’s will as He did. Jesus’ prayed for His Father’s will do be done. Jesus said in John 6:38,

“For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

He also taught His disciples to pray ,

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come . Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” — Matthew 6:9-10 ( more information )

We need to pray for God’s will and do what pleases Him because He is Holy , He is the Creator and Savior , and He is worthy of our obedience. We can also trust that He knows what’s best for us and has a better plan for our lives than we have for ourselves. Jeremiah 29:11 states,

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Spiritual Aspects

A character mentions praying to fire . The family seeks to protect the blue flame that they pray to. Two characters are shown bowing down to each other to show respect and reverence. In another scene, a character mentions that it will take “an act of God” to be able to do something. Ember’s mother mentions something about doing a “reading” on her daughter and Wade, suggesting that she has some sort of fortune-telling abilities . Ember’s mother “reads” the smoke that emanates from wooden sticks lit by couples, and this is a sort of fortune telling process to see if their love will last. She tells Ember that she can “smell love” on her daughter.

Sexual Innuendos

In one scene, the two main characters go on a hot air balloon ride of sorts. As they float up in the night sky, two other characters, who are land people (apple trees) can be seen picking apples off of each other through an open window. When they are spotted, they laugh and giggle and say that nothing is going on “just a little pruning”. Later, this phrase is referred back to in order to ask if there will “be any pruning” allowed on a date. This will likely go over kids’ heads, but also didn’t need to be included.

At one point, Ember misunderstands a comment made to her. She is told, “You’re so hot,” and clearly thinks it is meant to speak of her attractiveness, rather than the fact that she’s literally made of fire. A follow-up comment of “You’re smokin” is made afterwards. Again, these grown-up “jokes” will likely go over many kids’ heads, but are nevertheless something to be mindful of. The two main characters do hold hands and dance together as a test to see whether anything negative will happen, because of the warning that was continually touted, “Fire and Water don’t mix.” The two are seen kissing towards the end of the film.

Wade has a younger sibling, Lake, who is briefly introduced to Ember amongst many other family members. Lake goes by “they/them” pronouns, but the introduction is so subtle that adult viewers may not even notice, much less children. I didn’t even notice it myself, but read about it in an article after viewing the film. This is the first time a “non-binary” character has been introduced in a Disney/Pixar film.

Gay characters sit side-by-side as they are introduced to Ember, but once again, it is very subtle and the characters are composed of water, so it’s not very apparent what their gender is supposed to be. It’s so subtle that adults may not even realize what the scene is portraying, so children will likely not notice either. I also read about it online and did not catch it during the actual scene in the film, because of how large Wade’s family is and the fact that the gay characters don’t speak any lines of dialog or take up more than a couple of minutes (or less) of screen time. That particular scene is more focused on Ember and her burgeoning talents and abilities, and not so much on the orientation of any family members who are present. In fact, more attention seemed to be placed on Wade’s nephews, Marco and Polo, who were swimming around happily, and were also very creatively named.

Other Considerations

Ember’s mother and father are immigrants, and outcasts in a society where the fire people don’t fit in with everyone else and aren’t received as well as the other elements (air, water, and land) seem to be. In a flashback, we learn the reason why Ember’s father has so much hatred towards the water people. Themes of prejudice, anger towards other people groups, and assimilation into culture are explored. Being prejudiced against others is portrayed as a negative thing.

There are a couple of scenes where characters are in peril for a brief period of time, but it is not portrayed in a very frightening manner. In that sense, the movie is suitable for kids, as the action scenes are very mild.

I took my four young children to see “Elemental.” We all greatly enjoyed the film. While it wasn’t as visually stunning as the classic movies Disney/Pixar has brought us in the past, such as “ Toy Story ,” “ Finding Nemo ,” and “ Cars ,” “Elemental” had a good storyline, intriguing characters, some meaningful life lessons, and a fun, upbeat song that had us dancing in our seats in the movie theater. It had a few tearjerker moments and was more of a heartwarming film than a laugh-out-loud comedy, although there were a couple of funny parts. It would have been nice to see more scenes with the other elements in this imaginary world, such as air and land. Although they are briefly touched upon, the main focus is on the two elements of fire and water.

Parents will need to be aware that this movie has a romantic aspect to it, and is rated PG, so guidance will be needed. Children may need certain phrases or scenes discussed or explained to them later, and it may open up dialog about certain themes such as why lying and deception are wrong , why one must learn to control one’s anger , racism/prejudice , etc. Older or very astute children may notice the references to identifying oneself as gay, non-binary, etc., so parents will need to be cautious. Parents may also need to explain that any sort of fortune-telling is wrong, and that as Christians we only pray to God, not flames or any other substance that is merely part of the creation, and not the Creator Himself. Overall, I would recommend “Elemental” as a movie that parents can watch with their children, with the awareness that it may bring up some points for discussion and instruction.

• Wokeism: Mild
• Violence: Minor
• Profane language: Minor—also “dang” and one “ holy dewdrop.”
• Vulgar/Crude language: Minor—also “What the …?”
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
• Occult: Minor
• Nudity: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

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Review: The story may be basic, but the visually dazzling ‘Elemental’ has romance to burn

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It’s rare that beloved animation studio Pixar makes a straightforward romantic movie — the films it produces frequently focus on family love and friendship. It’s not often we see a swooning love story between two individuals such as the one in Peter Sohn’s “Elemental,” a kind of “Romeo and Juliet” riff featuring the forbidden love between two elements that don’t usually mix: fire and water.

“Elemental” is also an immigrant story, about a family forced to leave their homeland to seek a new life in a strange place. A pre-title sequence follows Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi) as they arrive in Elemental City from their home in Fireland. Though water, earth, air and fire share a complicated coexistence in this bustling metropolis, Bernie and Cinder don’t find warm hospitality there. As they seek shelter for their burgeoning family with Cinder pregnant and are turned away, it harks back to the biblical story of the birth of Jesus.

The couple transform their “manger,” a crumbling old building, into the Fireplace, a shop and cafe that serves as the hub of Firish culture in the heart of Firetown. They hope that their daughter Ember ( Leah Lewis ) will be able to take over the shop when she’s ready, passing on their business to her with the same reverence that they intend to pass on their beloved, ever-burning Firish blue flame.

Sohn and screenwriters John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh are working well-known, much-beloved stories and tropes, transposing these tales into this fantastical world of humanoid elements. These character types — a pair of star-crossed lovers, or a gruff but loving immigrant father, fiercely proud and protective of his only daughter who is caught in a perfectionism trap — make it easy to slip into their emotional journey, even if they are made of fire, earth, water and air, and possess all the attendant chemical and physical qualities of each element.

Accepting that the story beats are overly familiar is a bargain one makes with the filmmakers in order to enjoy the visually dazzling world of “Elemental.” One has to wonder if the concept for the film came about because the Pixar animators wanted a chance to demonstrate their aptitude with such challenging substances as fire and water. The character’s surfaces are constantly moving: faces of flame flicker and crackle with the grace of a watercolor painting; bubbles float and churn and pop through the bodies of the watery folk, held together with a tenuous viscosity. It’s a truly eye-popping and detailed expression of animation technology and technique. The environments of Element City are vibrantly rendered, especially Firetown, a vague melange of Asian, Eastern European and Middle Eastern influences, which are reflected in Thomas Newman’s score.

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But it’s the romance that makes “Elemental” worth your time and emotional investment, thanks to a romantic male lead who isn’t made up of the same stuff we’ve seen in Disney movies of yore. Wade ( Mamoudou Athie ) is water, and he’s an emotional guy. After Ember loses her temper and bursts a pipe in the shop, Wade, a chipper city inspector, comes flowing into her life. They pair up to track down the source of the leak that threatens Firetown and the Fireplace, and along the way fall in love, much to Ember’s chagrin, fearing the disapproval of her parents.

But this modern kind of love proves irresistible. It’s a refreshing update to Shakespeare’s hormonal teens, and the proud, barrel-chested Disney princes of yore. Voiced with a unique tenderness by Athie, what makes Wade lovable is his kindness, his vulnerability, his willingness to share his emotions and his delight in all of Ember’s distinctly fiery qualities. She’s spunky and hot-headed, he’s sweet and adorable — if they touch, it could be a disaster, but somehow, their chemistry just works, bringing the charming “Elemental” to a lively roiling boil.

Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

‘Elemental’

Rated: PG, for some peril, thematic elements and brief language Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes Playing: Starts in general release June 16

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At its best, Pixar is unbeatable, making clever, charming, and brightly original films to touch the heart and spark the imagination. And so it’s been dispiriting to see the animation studio behind such emotive triumphs as “ Toy Story ,” “ Ratatouille ,” “ Up ,” and “ Inside Out ”—among the best films of their respective years, bar none—recently fall short of its past standard of excellence. 

It’s not just that modern-day Pixar has focused on reprising its greatest hits with a parade of sequels (“ Toy Story 4 ,” “ Incredibles 2 ,” “ Lightyear ”), or that the studio’s slate of recent originals (“ Soul ,” “ Luca ,” “ Turning Red ”) have all, oddly enough, centered on characters transforming into animals (a revealing trope for its prevalence in films about feeling different, whose initially diverse protagonists invariably spend most of the runtime covered in fur or scales). Also absent lately at Pixar, a subsidiary of Disney since 2006, is the mastery of execution that had distinguished the studio, a brilliance for establishing high-concept premises and effortlessly navigating their particulars. 

“Elemental,” Disney and Pixar’s latest, feels emblematic of the studio’s struggle to recapture its original magic, making a mess of its world-building in service of a conventional story that fails the talent of the animators involved. Set in a world where natural elements—earth, fire, water, air—coexist in a New York-style metropolis, each representing different social classes, the film—directed by Peter Sohn , from a screenplay by John Hoberh, Kat Likkel , and Brenda Hsueh —aims high with that central metaphor but is set immediately off-balance by its unwieldiness as racial allegory, an issue compounded by haphazard pacing and writing so flatly predictable it suggests a Pixar film authored by an AI algorithm. At times bordering on the nonsensical, the film feels under-developed rather than universal, a colorful missed opportunity. 

Presented as the closing-night selection of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, ahead of its stateside release in mid-June, “Elemental” envisions a densely populated urban sprawl similar to that of Disney’s anthrozoomorphic “ Zootopia ,” in which ideas of racial discrimination were uneasily reduced to “predator and prey” dynamics to allow for a story that focused more on dismantling personal prejudices than systemic racism. In Element City, a similarly ill-advised simplification is at work (though Sohn has explained that his Korean heritage and desire to make a film about assimilation fueled some of the creative decisions), and there’s even a similar eyebrow to raise with regard to the legitimate danger that these contrasting elements, like foxes to rabbits, pose to one another. 

In “Elemental,” socially privileged water people flow back and forth through slickly designed high-rises and have no issue splashing down the city’s grand canals and monorails, which were designed for their gelatinous-blob bods, whereas fire folk are sequestered to Firetown, where their tight-knit community reflects East Asian, Middle Eastern, and European traditions—and accents run the gamut from Italian to Jamaican, Iranian, and West Indian, in a way that uncomfortably positions fire as representative as all immigrants and water as representative of the white upper-class. Earth and air, meanwhile, barely register; we see earth people who sprout daisies from their dirt-brown armpits, and cotton candy-esque cloud puffs playing “airball” in Cyclone Stadium, but the film is surprisingly non-committal in imagining the chemistry of inner-city elements interacting. Background sight gags abound, such as the “hot logs” that fire folk chow down on, but the actual ins and outs of Element City are explored only superficially, such as the revelation that all these elements take advantage of the same public transit. Replete with computer-generated inhabitants and generic modernist structures, its milieu feels more like concept art, to be further detailed at some point in the animation process, than a fully thought-through, lived-in environment.

“Elemental” centers on hot-tempered Ember Lumen ( Leah Lewis , of “ The Half of It ”), a second-generation immigrant who works as an assistant in her father’s bodega shop. Fire people who emigrated from Fireland, from whence they brought spicy food and rigid cultural traditions of honor and lineage, Ember and her father Útrí dár ì Bùrdì ( Ronnie del Carmen )—though he and his wife Fâsh ì Síddèr ( Shila Ommi ) had their names Anglicized to Bernie and Cinder at the “Elemental” equivalent of Ellis Island—have a close relationship as he readies her to take over the family business. Ember, though, is questioning whether or not she truly wants to inherit the store, as her beloved “ashfa” says he expects, or whether her gifts—such as the ability to heat a hot-air balloon and mold glass with her hands—might lead her in another direction. 

Unable to control her emotions, which can take her from red-hot into a more ominous purple shade, Ember one day ruptures a pipe in her father’s shop, at which point city inspector Wade ( Mamoudou Athie ) gushes in. Wade’s been investigating the city’s dilapidated canal system, searching for the source of a leak that keeps flooding Ember’s basement but imperils all of Firetown. Determined to keep her father’s business from going under, Ember pursues and then quickly joins forces with Wade. As romance sparks between the two, they make for a particularly odd couple given one of the film’s less-than-convincing rules: that “elements don’t mix,” for reasons both practical and parochial, in Element City. Ember might extinguish Wade, while he could douse her flame, but their inevitably steamy romance is moreso forbidden because her father would never approve, setting up “Elemental” as an interracial love story, the kind Pixar hasn’t yet told with human characters.

From there, the film works like a checklist of Pixar storytelling clichés, its two opposites at first getting on one another’s last nerve but gradually forming a close bond, before separating over what amounts to a basic misunderstanding, which is resolved in climactic fashion as the two rescue one another from a looming threat and rekindle their love. Still, as the plot’s frantically paced chain reaction of events keeps Ember and Wade together, their relationship becomes the film’s slight but endearing center, a welcome respite from the mixed metaphors and misshapen conceptual mechanics that often threaten to break the story’s inner reality. (Why, for example, is what will happen if Ember and Wade touch such a mystery to them both, in a city whose ceramic and terracotta glass structures point to other elements interacting?) 

Lewis voices Ember with a playful warmth that nicely complements the bubbling affability that Athie brings to Wade, while the animation of both their bodies—hers flickering then suddenly ablaze with emotion, heat wafting upward; his fluid and transparent, prone to collapsing into a puddle on the ground—is always exciting to look at, emphasizing malleability and dabbling in abstraction. 

But even the film’s promising use of color, form, and movement feels hemmed in by the unimaginative storytelling. Only a few standout sequences—a visit to an underwater garden of Vivisteria flowers, a detour into hand-drawn animation that tells a love story in minimal, swirling lines—separate “Elemental” from any other Pixar film in which the characters are phosphorescent little blobs traveling through realistically animated cityscapes, and as rapidly as the film progresses it never goes anywhere unexpected. 

There’s similarly nothing in “Elemental” to recall the wondrous aesthetic imagination of modern Pixar classics like “ Finding Nemo ” and “ Wall-E ,” with the exception of a rich score by composer Thomas Newman that takes its cues from a potpourri of global musical traditions and presents a more fully formed vision of cross-cultural exchange than the film’s muddled depiction of immigrant communities. Perhaps fittingly for a film that would have more accurately been titled “When Fire Met Water…,” “Elemental” is combustible enough from minute to minute, but it evaporates from memory the second you leave the theater.

This review was filed from the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. “Elemental” is now playing in theaters.

Isaac Feldberg

Isaac Feldberg is an entertainment journalist currently based in Chicago, who’s been writing professionally for nine years and hopes to stay at it for a few more.

• Leah Lewis as Ember Lumen (voice)
• Mamoudou Athie as Wade Ripple (voice)
• Ronnie del Carmen as Bernie Lumen (voice)
• Shila Ommi as Cinder Lumen (voice)
• Wendi McLendon-Covey as Gale (voice)
• Catherine O’Hara as Brook Ripple (voice)
• Mason Wertheimer as Clod (voice)
• Ronobir Lahiri as Harold (voice)
• Wilma Bonet as Flarrietta (voice)
• Joe Pera as Fern (voice)
• Matthew Yang King as Alan / Lutz / Earth Pruner (voice)
• Clara Lin Ding as Little Kid Ember (voice)
• Reagan To as Big Kid Ember (voice)

Writer (story)

• Brenda Hsueh
• John Hoberg

Cinematographer

• David Juan Bianchi
• Jean-Claude Kalache
• Stephen Schaffer
• Thomas Newman

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Critic’s Pick

‘Elemental’ Review: Sparks Fly

The latest movie from Disney/Pixar tucks a romantic comedy inside a high-concept premise. It’s smoldering and splashy.

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By Amy Nicholson

“Elemental” is the latest Pixar premise to feel like someone laced the cafeteria’s kombucha keg with ayahuasca. Starting eight years ago with “Inside Out,” the animation company has transformed cartoons into a form of group therapy that encourages audiences to ruminate on inner peace, death (“Coco”) and resurrection (“Soul”). This story is simpler (elemental, even). It’s a girl-meets-boy cross-cultural romantic comedy — a good one that woos us to root for the big kiss. But the Pixar-brand psychotropic flourish comes from which cultures. Here, they are water, earth, air and fire — the four classical elements that the ancient philosopher Empedocles used to explain our world — all tenuously coexisting in Element City, a Manhattan analogue founded by the first droplet to ooze out of the primordial sea. The girl, Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis), is a leggy lick of flame; her crush, Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), is a drip. When she brushes near him, his body roils. Steamy.

This setup sounds strange and looks stranger. Yet, the four classical elements are one of civilization’s great unifiers, a cosmological theory shared by the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Mahabhuta, the Kongo cosmogram, the Indigenous medicine wheel and the zodiac. We’ve long interpreted life through water, earth, air and fire. Now, the trick is to see the life in them, once we squint past the visually overwhelming chaos of Element City, a smelting pot of puns and allusions.

You’d have to freeze-frame each scene to absorb all the sight gags: fire-mommies pushing fire-babies in BBQ grills, tree-couples tenderly harvesting each other’s apples, luxury tower aquariums with sunken swimming pools for a living room, whirlwind basketball games that hawk souvenir cloud-shaped pants. Even then, the yuks spillith over into the closing credits whose margins are cluttered with funny bits of illustrated flotsam like Lighterfinger candy bars and Sizzlemint gum.

The suspension of disbelief is so staggering that one flaw in the execution would cause the whole gimmick to collapse. I decided to trust the director, Peter Sohn, during the opening sequence. As Ember’s future parents, Bernie and Cinder (Ronnie del Carmen and Shila Ommi) disembark upon a bizarro Ellis Island, all-too-aware that they’re two of the earliest fireball émigrés, I clocked her father’s chain mail pants and relaxed. Metal knickers are the kind of minutia that tells you Sohn and the three screenwriters (John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh) have pored over every corner of their high concept, allowing us to make the mental switch from scanning the landscape suspiciously to marveling in the details.

The staggering design ambition balances out the plot’s affecting, relatable ordinariness, which kicks in a couple of decades after the Lumens settle in and open a store that ignites a thriving fire community. By the time Ember is an adult, the Firish (as in “Kiss Me, I’m…”) have erected blocks of residential kilns that resemble a modernized Cappadocia. Yet, there’s no forgetting that Element City was once a wets-only town. The Wetro light rail zipping overhead creates a splash zone of urban blight in its wake.

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Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

Elemental Parent Guide

Stunning visual design and an appealing story come together in a magical family film..

Theaters: In a city where fire, earth, air, and water residents live, a young fire woman meets a water man and learns to step outside her comfort zone.

Release date June 16, 2023

Run Time: 109 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) has a lifelong dream – running Fireplace, her father’s neighborhood store. That goal is threatened when she loses her temper, bursts pipes in the basement, and comes across city inspector Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie). Wade issues numerous tickets and informs Ember that the store was built against code and must be closed down.

Determined not to have her father’s life’s work destroyed, Ember chases Wade through Element City, finally persuading him to help her save the shop. As the two work together, their relationship deepens but they face a unique obstacle. Ember is a Fire – a person made of flame – and Wade is a Water – a man composed of H 2 O. Fire and water don’t mix. In fact, as everyone knows, they will destroy one another if they touch.

Where Elemental shines is in its exquisitely detailed worldbuilding. The city has inhabitants who are made of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water and the filmmakers have given them distinct physical characteristics and dwellings. Water people are weepily emotional and live in glass skyscrapers. Air dwellers are made of clouds and live with a pastel color palette. Earth residents are plants who come in many different shapes. In a humorous take, puberty is signaled by the growth of flowers in their armpits – a quirk that is repeatedly played for laughs. Fire people eat charcoal, wear metallic clothing, and live in brick, stone, and clay homes. As with other Pixar films, the detail is astounding and the artistic renderings superb. It will take more than one viewing to absorb all the minutiae the animation artists have packed into this production.

The movie doesn’t just look good; it also tells an absorbing story. This is obviously a film about diversity, but it does more than just repeat that “diversity is good” – it demonstrates that diversity is beautiful. As Ember and Wade get to know each other, they marvel at the wonders of each other’s worlds and talents. There are truly breathtaking moments in this movie when Ember makes glass, Wade creates a rainbow, or the couple take an underwater voyage to see a magical tree.

The film also tackles difficult issues – perhaps too many to fit comfortably in its runtime. Fire people are clearly an underclass in Element City and the story addresses prejudice, exclusion, class differences, cultural preservation, and clueless good intentions. A major plotline concerns Ember’s struggles with her parents’ expectations. As a daughter of immigrants, she feels trapped by the magnitude of her parents’ sacrifice and must learn to express her own hopes and talents. The script follows a well-trodden path but does so with gentle honesty.

Real originality comes in the movie’s love story. Ember and Wade are the unlikeliest odd couple – an explosive, radiant woman with anger management issues, and a chill, emotionally open guy with surfer dude vibes. Somehow it works. Their relationship is fraught with peril but also lit with acceptance, love, and joy. That’s not something you see every day in a kids’ film but being able to tap into these elemental emotions explains why Pixar continues to dominate the world of family entertainment.

About author

Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for elemental.

Elemental Rating & Content Info

Why is Elemental rated PG? Elemental is rated PG by the MPAA for some peril, thematic elements, and brief language

Violence: Dangerous floods put characters at risk and cause property damage. A character’s death is implied on screen. Children playfully hit each other with sticks. Fire characters are discriminated against by being denied access to an attraction. A character causes property destruction when she loses her temper and inadvertently sets things on fire. Sexual Content: There is some brief, minor sexual innuendo. A male and female character kiss. Two very minor female characters are introduced as “girlfriends”. An adult mentions “hanky panky”. Profanity:   The word “ash” is used as a substitute for an anatomical term. Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

Page last updated June 29, 2024

Elemental Parents' Guide

Why does Ember feel responsible for taking over her father’s store? Why is she afraid to tell him what she really wants to do?

What do Ember and Wade love about each other? What do they learn from one another? How are their lives enriched by their time together? Have you ever spent time with someone with different talents or who comes from a different culture? What did you learn from them?

This movie has striking visual design. If you want to learn more about how the film was made, follow these links:

Mama’s Geeky: Designing Element City & Its Residents for Pixar’s Elemental

Laughing Place: Building Element City – The Real Stories That Inspired Pixar’s “Elemental”

Loved this movie? Try these books…

There are plenty of books to choose from if you’re looking for something that will help your child appreciate other cultures – and get along better with others.

This Is How We Do It follows a day in the life of kids from Italy, India, Iran, Japan, Peru, Russia, and Uganda. Written by Matt Lamothe, this book gives kids the chance to learn what it’s like to live in another culture.

Kids who want to learn more about other cultures can read Our Favorite Day of the Year, a book that explains cultural holidays and is written by A.E. Ali and illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell.

In rhyming text Are Your Stars Like My Stars? encourages children to imagine how children in other parts of the world experience their lives. This picture book is written by Leslie Helakoski and illustrated by Heidi Woodward Sheffield.

Pen pals Elliot and Kailash learn about their differences and similarities in Same, Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw.

Cultural differences – and similarities – are made easy to understand in Everybody Cooks Rice. In this book by Norah Dooley and Peter J. Thornton, a girl’s trip through her neighborhood uses food to show how people can take a simple ingredient and produce marvelously different foods.

Related home video titles:

The benefits of diversity take center stage in Zootopia , the tale of a rabbit who wants to be a police officer in a world where those jobs are usually taken by larger animals.

Sea monsters and humans learn to look beyond their biases and stereotypes and live together peacefully in the animated film Luca.

Learning to value diverse gifts, particularly those that are not seen as important, is the theme of Encanto , the story of a family living in an enchanted house that begins to lose its magic.

MeiMei is the daughter of immigrant parents and she discovers an unexpected family trait when she turns into a giant red panda. Turning Red gives viewers of all ages a magical tale about family, friendship, cultural adaptation, and courage.

Elemental Review

07 Jul 2023

Pixar is a studio with proven form in telling heartfelt, impactful stories through the highest of concepts — a girl transforming into a giant red panda as she reaches puberty ( Turning Red ); an after-life littered with pastel-blue blobs, heading to The Great Beyond on a massive conveyor belt ( Soul ); emotions portrayed as walking, talking entities, battling over their owner’s personality in a big control room (the unmatched Inside Out ). Elemental follows that thread, the characters here all made up of one of the four core elements (fire, air, water, earth), living together in ‘Element City’. Except, they’re not really living together — because of the harm the different elements pose to each other, they simply don’t mix.

The focus is on Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis), a literal hot mess, working hard with her father Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen) at their family store in Fire Town. Bernie hopes for Ember to take over the business soon, so that he can finally retire, if only she could keep her temperature in check when dealing with customers. Yes, the Fire people are hotheads, Ember hotter than most, and her inability to control her emotions and make deeper connections with people often leads to mini explosions behind the counter. One of these meltdowns brings weepy Water guy Wade (Mamoudou Athie) into the shop, with a mysterious leak spelling potentially fatal trouble for the residents of Fire Town.

Where Elemental really sizzles is in its central pair’s chemistry (literally).

The film opens with Ember’s parents coming to Element City years before she was born. They face their culture and customs being stripped from them, rejection from home after home, and start their own business to build community amongst the Fire people, and give their daughter the life they never had. This is an immigrant tale, moving into broader themes about otherness, integration, prejudice, class and more. Fire people are seen as harmful and dangerous, are turned away from institutions, and are forced to congregate outside the city — which, as Ember says, “isn’t made with Fire people in mind”. The metaphor is as subtle as a sledgehammer, but that’s surely the point — and whilst on-the-nose at times, it’s kind of incredible that Elemental is able to communicate huge societal concepts like these to young audiences through such a clean, easy-to-grasp analogy.

If that all sounds heavy, though, fret not. There’s a ton of fun to be had with the elemental concept — Wade struggling to eat Ember’s native hot food; a sport called airball, with a team named ‘The Wind-Breakers’, plus the slogan “It’s tootin’ time”; Ember’s flames changing hues as she dances across coloured minerals; Wade getting sucked into a sponge as a baby. There are puns galore, the script and production design really making the most of every opportunity for an element-based laugh.

As beautifully rendered as Element City and its residents are, there is a lot going on. Flashbacks, backstory and plot strands are crowbarred in left, right and centre — some pay off wonderfully, most fall by the wayside. Despite being the central characters, the somewhat crude design of Ember and the Fire people feels incongruent against their intricately detailed clothing and surroundings. The dialogue is simplistic; though ‘family-friendly’ is of course Pixar’s bent, Elemental is one that feels particularly for the kids.

Where Elemental really sizzles is in its central pair’s chemistry (literally). Mamoudou Athie uses the full range of that extraordinary voice, evoking hysterics and sincerity with equal ease. He’s matched well by Leah Lewis, and together they provide what feels like Pixar’s first romcom, complete with awkward first dates and meeting the parents, all with an added layer of jeopardy around what would happen if they were to touch. Wade’s emotional depth and Ember’s relatable story make for a strong connection, and, once again, Pixar demonstrates its ability to hit you in the feels.

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Elemental Is a Solid Pixar Romp And The Best All-Ages Summer Movie Of 2023

Is it a classic Pixar film? Maybe not. But that’s not the point.

The summer of 2023 is clearly, the first summer since 2020 in which taking kids to an actual movie theater is very much back . The Super Mario Bros. Movie was huge ( regardless of reviews! ), Across the Spider-Verse is correctly slaying a the box office, The Little Mermaid remake is doing great, and now, Pixar is back, too. For families looking for summer movies with popcorn, soda, and everything else, things haven’t been this good in a while. And yet, among all these choices, Elemental — that aforementioned new Pixar effort — is perhaps the best choice for the very little ones. Although this new Pixar film may not be the best movie of the summer, it's certainly the most ideal one for all ages.

Elemental , fits right into the pattern of Pixar’s historical ambition with its wholly invented world and exploration of everything from star-crossed romances to the immigrant experience. To be clear, that's not enough to push the movie into masterpiece territory alongside Pixar icons like Finding Nemo , WALL-E , or Up . For all its creativity and effort, Elemental feels like a film that never fully comes together, a movie that juggles too much to ever keep it all in the air. But that’s the perspective of an adult talking about Pixar movies as art.

No middling critical review of Elemental should stop families from seeing it. Despite moments when it falters, there's still something immediately and deeply endearing about this film, particularly in the context of going to watch it with your family. It might not be a masterpiece, but Elemental will still be a great time for you and the kids at the movies.

That all starts, probably not surprisingly, with the way it looks. Director Peter Sohn and his team of artists dig deep for their depiction of Element City, an incredible place where people of Water, Air, Earth, and Fire all live, even if the Fire people get short shrift and have to make do with their only little insular neighborhood. Even if they can't fully grasp the many layers of plot at work here, the younger kids in your life will get lost in this colorful, vibrant world where trains glide on water, apartments become wading pools, and the sport of "Air Ball" is played to raucous crowds in a massive, unconventional stadium. It's all wonderfully inventive, and it holds the eye throughout the film.

This isn't to say the film's inventiveness and charm only exist on a macro scale. Look closer at the character work, and you'll find plenty of engrossing stuff, particularly when it comes to the film's efforts to dig deeper into the way that Fire woman Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) and her parents live. The Lumens run a business, a kind of all-encompassing bodega for Fire people, and that business is packed with clever nods to the way a being made entirely of fire might live. We learn about the snacks they eat, the tools they use, and the traditions they hold dear, and it's there that the bigger kids in the family will start to latch on not just to the jokes, but to the bigger ideas at work in the story.

And while they sometimes spend a little too much time jockeying for attention, those big ideas are all definitely worthwhile. It begins with the film's focus on a family of immigrants. The Lumen family is not native to Element City, and when they get there, they find that the other Element "races" are not necessarily welcoming. Fire has a stigma, you see, and so most of the Fire people in the city keep to themselves and develop their own prejudices, particularly against Water people and their ability to extinguish everything the Fire families have worked for. That means that when Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a local Water guy and inspector for the city, first comes into contact with Ember, she's not all that happy to have him around.

Ember is having the ride of her life.

Of course, as the trailers show, that eventually changes, and Ember starts to both question the barriers that have existed her entire life and ponder her place in the wider Element world. Ember's eventual exploration of life outside her little family bubble is another meaty piece of the Elemental puzzle, and older children will certainly relate to her search for meaning and purpose beyond what she knew growing up.

Then there are the other, tried-and-true Pixar ideas that parents will recognize: Kids learning to exist independently of parents, near-fatal experiences, how to cope with a rapidly changing world, and how to overcome self-doubt to reach your potential. It's all there, even if it gets a bit jumbled sometimes, and it arrives in a fairly light, bright package, without some of the more overt darkness that launched Pixar films like Finding Nemo and Up .

That means that, despite its shortcomings, Elemental is the kind of film you can feel good about experiencing with your family, and beaming onto the TV for the kids when it hits streaming. It might not be the most memorable Pixar experience ever, but everyone, from little kids to their parents, will still come away with something rewarding.

Elemental is out in theaters now.

"Positive Themes Marred by Light Identity Politics and Brief Woke Content"

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Prejudice occurs between four different kinds of fantasy creatures but this is mostly gently rebuked, despite some indications of identity politics, and some tension develops between the father and daughter, but it’s resolved positively in the emotional ending.

More Detail:

ELEMENTAL is an animated fantasy from Pixar and Disney about a young adult female fire creature who becomes romantically involved with the young adult male water creature and city inspector who tries to help her stop the city from closing down her father’s shop. Set in a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, ELEMENTAL tells a fun, heartwarming story about family and overcoming prejudice, but the movie sometimes veers into identity politics and woke memes, including a same-sex couple that appears in one important scene, but there are five other couples who are heterosexual, with three of them being married.

Most of the story takes place in Element City where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, but not always peacefully. Years ago, a fire couple came to the city after their village was decimated by a storm. The immigration official couldn’t pronounce their names, so he named them Bernie and Cinder. Bernie started a business of fire candy, toys and doodads called The Fireplace. He hopes that, one day, he can retire and his daughter, Ember, can take over the business.

However, there’s a problem. Ember has a terrible temper. So, Bernie has postponed his retirement until she can control her temper. Sadly, though, running the business is beginning to take a toll on his health. So, when it comes time to have their annual Red Dot Sale, Bernie is too sick to run the shop, and he lets Ember take over for the day.

However, dealing with all the demanding customers becomes too tense for Ember. She runs down to the basement to vent her anger and causes a small explosion. The explosion bursts one of the water pipes. She tries to fix it by welding the hole with her fire, but pressure builds up and causes more pipes to burst. From one of the burst pipes comes a city building inspector, a conscientious water creature named Wade. He was following a mysterious leak in the city’s water transportation system when he was led to the store’s basement. When he looks around the basement, he notices all sorts of code violations. He also finds out that Ember’s father never got the necessary permits to fix up the building to start his store. Because of all these violations, the city will have to close down her father’s shop.

Ember desperately tries to convince Wade to tear up the tickets. However, he’s already sent them to his boss, a no-nonsense female bureaucrat. However, Ember appeals to Wade’s compassion, saying that closing down the shop will kill her father. Wade agrees to help her plead her case.

This leads to some unexpected consequences, not the least of which is that Wade and Ember are falling in love. Can they find a way to make that work, since Wade’s water can extinguish Ember’s fire and Ember’s hot flames can cause Wade to totally evaporate?

ELEMENTAL tells a funny, charming, ultimately heartwarming story. It displays Pixar’s usual knack for creating and building an amazing world with surprising, funny situations. The movie contains a main theme about overcoming prejudice. As such, it seems to learn toward a traditional Pro-American message that we live in a melting pot where diverse groups of people share a common culture with common values. ELEMENTAL also tells a strong father-daughter story at its core. It also has strong pro-capitalist leanings where the creatures build small businesses, including family-run businesses, and also use their talents to serve the community and specific people within the community. The movie also has a reference to acts of God and an emotional situation where a symbolic sacrifice, death and resurrection occur.

Sadly, these positive things are marred by some politically correct identity politics and a woke meme. Thus, ELEMENTAL not only argues for overcoming prejudice; it also argues for diversity among the four kinds of creatures that exist in the world. Also, when Ember visits Wade’s family for dinner, his parents are two heterosexual water people, his brother is married to a female water person, but his sister has a girlfriend. The two lesbian characters don’t do or say much, but they’re clearly a politically correct nod to tyrannical woke politics. In addition, at least one crowd scene during the movie shows one same-sex couple. Finally, Ember’s mother is a psychic who runs a personal fortune telling business that concentrates on using occult means to be a matchmaking service for people in Element City.

The woke, occult content in ELEMENTAL is gratuitous. It adds nothing to the story and will annoy many family moviegoers who don’t want their children exposed to such content. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.

Review: Is 'Elemental' a fun family movie night?

By john clyde for ksl.com | posted - june 16, 2023 at 2:13 p.m., wade (voiced by mamoudou athie) and ember (leah lewis) in pixar's "elemental." (pixar animation studios).

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Pixar has been synonymous with groundbreaking and breathtaking animation for years. They changed the animation game with " Toy Story ," and left us speechless with the beauty of " Coco ." But for me, it hasn't been the stunning CGI that sets Pixar apart; it's been their storytelling.

For years, I felt that Pixar focused on making a story perfect before even creating characters.

Movies like " Inside Out ," Monsters Inc. ," " Finding Nemo ," " Up " and the aforementioned "Coco" have close-to-perfect stories for me. They are funny, with deep character development, high stakes and emotion. Pixar has had some missteps in this category, in my opinion, like both " Cars " sequels — and don't even get me started on " Turning Red ."

Pixar's newest film, "Elemental," falls short of an animated masterpiece. Still, it's also better than the likes of "Cars 2" and "Turning Red."

Here are some reasons I enjoyed "Elemental."

Stunning visuals

Even in their missteps, Pixar has turned out beautiful animation, and nothing is different with "Elemental." In fact, it may be some of their best animation work to date.

The bustling city has a heartbeat you can feel in your chest, and I cannot imagine the number of painstaking hours it took the animation teams to create all the characters. The water is fluid, the earth is growing, the air flowing and the fire constantly burning. I wanted to step into this world and explore it for hours. The intricate architecture and bright lights are mesmerizing.

I have always been impressed with animation in all forms, but "Elemental" had me in awe.

The voices of Mamoudou Athie and Leah Lewis

Animated movies often like to get big-name actors to voice the lead roles, but "Elemental" didn't go that route. My guess is most of you don't recognize the names of Mamoudou Athie and Leah Lewis, but you may see them and think, "Oh, she's from that one thing."

These two voice the lead characters, Wade and Ember, respectively, and their chemistry and timing are on point. Athie found the right mixture of charming and obnoxious in his delivery, which is precisely Wade's personality. Lewis delivers a tough exterior that is actually razor-thin, hiding a vulnerable and unsure center. The two play off one another like two tennis pros, lobbing shots back and forth.

The middle ground

Hits and misses in the story.

As mentioned earlier, Pixar has crafted some incredible stories, and I feel "Elemental" got about halfway there. The story didn't necessarily bore me, but it lost my attention a few times. The relationship between Wade and Ember is strong, if a little rushed. The secondary story — of a water leak — seems forgotten and rushed, even though it's a significant plot line.

I've probably come to expect too much by way of a story from Pixar, because "Elemental" is more substantial than many animated movies out there. It just seemed to have too many holes compared to some of the studio's best.

"Elemental" was not my favorite Pixar movie, and it's not even in my top five or six, but it's also not toward the bottom of the barrel. I had fun with the movie and walked out of the theater with a smile and a good feeling. But are you that interested in what a middle-aged movie critic says about it? Or would you be more interested in what a 12-, 10- and 7-year-old thought about the movie?

My three kids joined me at the screening, and they were all in. My oldest daughter loved the relationships, my son thought the jokes were funny and my youngest daughter immediately asked when we could see it again. Kids should have a great time with the dazzling visuals and well-timed humor, and parents should be entertained enough to not look at their watch waiting for the time to pass.

"Elemental" is rated PG for some peril, thematic elements and brief language.

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How ‘Elemental’ Went From a Family Affair to an Award Contender

by Justin Hermes · February 19, 2024

Peter Sohn never considered the award’s circuit when he was directing Elemental .

While the seeds of the story instead began with the Pixar veteran’s own Korean heritage, the story of Elemental is a universal story of love, acceptance, and sacrifice.

Photo: Disney/Pixar

“It’s been really interesting to talk about the film in this personal way because it really was never meant to be so personal,” Sohn explains.

Photo: Korean American Story

“The seeds sort of started. And it rippled through the crew, and a lot of our crew members started bringing their own personal lives to it as well.”

A Film Seven Years in the Making

Seven years and a half-a-billion box office run later, Sohn’s film is now nominated Best Animated Feature at the Oscar, where it will face off against the likes of The Boy and the Heron, Nomona, Robot Dreams, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Wade. Photo: Pixar

According to Sohn, the process of creating Elemental began as a family affair at Pixar.

Pixar Studios. Source: Pixar.fandom.com

“We had just sent out an email out early in development about wanting to hear if anyone had these kind of stories,” he said onstage. “We were overwhelmed with all these responses. And we slowly but surely went through all of them throughout the first year in development, having meetings, hearing these wonderful, touching stories, really funny stories, and, frankly, sad stories helping us define what these unique cultures could be for a fire and for water.”

An Unexpected Success Story

While Elemental’s stumble during its first week in the theaters led many to write the film off as another Pixar dud, the film slowly but surely found its footing.

Eventually, the film would rebound, providing Pixar with a slow-burning hit and Disney with a new model for box office success.

Elemental. Photo: Pixar

With the film now in award contention, Elemental has firmly entrenched itself as a classic in the Pixar canon. And to think, it all started with the personal stories of the studio’s employees.

Elemental is now streaming on Disney+.

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‘the forge’ is the most polished work from kendrick brothers’, clarion call to discipleship.

Plugged In movie reviews: 'The Forge,' 'The Deliverance,' 'Blink Twice'

“The Forge”  is probably the Kendrick brothers’ most complete and polished work. “The Deliverance” is a dark and violent horror film, but we find some positive spiritual messages amid the darkness. You’ll do far more wincing than blinking in “Blink Twice.”

Subscribe to have The Washington Times’ Higher Ground delivered to your inbox every Sunday.

Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In .

The Forge – In Theaters

In 2002, brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick took $20,000 and the blessing of the church they worked for — Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia — and turned it into a full-length movie. The finishing touches were put on the film “Flywheel” at 6 a.m. April 9, 2003, just hours before its premiere.

Since then, the Kendrick brothers have released eight more full-length movies, and in so doing helped upend and expand the Christian film industry. It seems like every time the Kendrick brothers release a new movie, Hollywood prognosticators are a little flabbergasted by how successful it is. Every few years, we’re reminded that little Christian films can generate big profits.

SEE ALSO: ‘The ripple effect’: Actress Priscilla Shirer shares astounding impact that one person can make

Not that the Kendricks are in this business for the money: They’re in it for the souls. Throughout their career, they’ve kept their focus tightly honed on their audience (Christians) and their mission (biblically rooted encouragement). And while there might’ve been a time when they would’ve enjoyed making a lavish, CGI superhero flick, those days are long gone.

Be sure to listen in to The Plugged In Show , a weekly podcast with lighthearted reviews for parents and conversations about entertainment, pop culture and technology: 

“We realize that some people are not going to like our movies, and we are totally OK with that,” Alex Kendrick, director of “The Forge,” told me on “ The Plugged In Show .” “But those that do, [those] that we can encourage and help go deeper in their faith, praise the Lord.”

And that’s really what “The Forge” is all about: An exhortation for Christians to go deeper.

“The Lord doesn’t need more lukewarm churchgoers,” Joshua says. “We need more believers who are wholeheartedly following Jesus.”

Why? Joshua shows us every moment he’s on screen. We see what total commitment costs — and what harvest it reaps. We see how one man can completely transform another man’s life — and how that transformation can exponentially grow. According to the Pew Research Center , 210 million people in the United States identify as Christian. Can you imagine what would happen if every one of those 210 million people were as committed to Christ as Joshua? If they gave so much of their time and treasure?

From an aesthetic viewpoint, “The Forge” is probably the Kendrick brothers’ most complete and polished work. Certainly, this film is made for Christians: The movie’s very clarity of purpose will be a difficult sell for some outside the faith.

But for those within that faith — those who’ve felt Christ’s tug in their lives but perhaps haven’t yet taken the full discipleship plunge — ”The Forge” can be both encouraging and convicting. And it reminds us all that Christ didn’t come just to save us; He came to transform us, so that we in turn can help transform others. He asks us to die to ourselves so that we can help others find new life, and new hope.

Read the rest of the review here . Watch the trailer here .

The Deliverance – Streaming on Netflix

From 2011 to 2012, Latoya Ammons and her family reported strange and frightening occurrences in their home in Gary, Indiana, which they attributed to demonic spirits. The case, documented by the Indianapolis Star , eventually involved social workers, police, and a Catholic priest.

“The Deliverance” draws much of its inspiration from that account. (Latoya Ammons is even mentioned by name during the end credits.) Ultimately, it’s a story about a family trying to survive extreme and outright spiritual darkness.

To the film’s credit, it delivers the point that the only power that can overcome such darkness is found in Jesus Christ. No matter what evil we face, we are assured that Christ has already won the victory — defeating sin and death through His sacrifice and resurrection — and we can share in His victory by putting our faith in Him.

With that in mind, “The Deliverance” strives to tell a redemptive story. But there’s a lot of content issues here that muddy the waters.

In many ways, this is standard R-rated horror fare: dark, disturbing images. Bloody violence. A barrage of foul language and more besides. You’ll have to decide if you want to wade through that to get to this movie’s positive messages.

Blink Twice – In Theaters

Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut is designed to tap into the “Me Too” movement’s passion while making declarative statements about money, abusive power and male toxicity. What it delivers, though, is a lot of Epstein Island-like debauchery blended with “I Spit on Your Grave” style revenge violence.

That’s not to say that there’s absolutely nothing redeemable in the mix. From a purely esthetic perspective there are some solid performances (particularly from lead Naomi Ackie) and a serviceable story twist by movie’s end.

But all in all, this is one miserable island vacation filled with despicable people, profuse alcohol and drug consumption, repugnant rape and bloody murder. And you, dear viewer, are the one who must foot the bill.

Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

Reviews written by Paul Asay , Bret Eckelberry , and Bob Hoose .

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission .

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All the New Movies Coming To Streaming This Week: A Shyamalan Double Feature, Emma Stone Breakdances, and More

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New on vod and hulu, new on netflix, new on peacock, new on paramount+.

This week on streaming is bringing a grand slam of titles that you'll be able to stream this Labor Day weekend. From bombastic blockbusters to gripping thrillers, you'll have plenty of options for a movie night during the final week of the last full month of the summer.

'Kinds of Kindness'

Available on : Tuesday, August 27 (VOD); Friday, August 30 (Hulu)

'Kinds of Kindness' Review: Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone Are Killer Good

Will the real Yorgos Lanthimos please stand up?

Kinds of Kindness marks the third feature film collaboration between two-time Academy Award winner Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos after their Oscar-winning flicks The Favourite and Poor Things .

The dark comedy anthology film takes the Greek filmmaker back to his morbidly deadpan sensibilities that he brought to his earlier films such as Dogtooth , The Lobster , and The Killing of a Sacred Deer . The movie is split between three loosely connected stories featuring the same group of actors and actresses. The first story sees a man trying to get away from his boss who takes being domineering to a whole new level. The second story features a cop who begins to sense that something unusual is going on after she returns from supposedly drowning. The third and final story sees a woman who has been searching for a spiritual guide for her cult.

Alongside Stone, Kinds of Kindness also reunites Lanthimos with several other of his past performers, including Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe ( Poor Things ), Margaret Qualley ( Poor Things ), and Joe Alwyn ( The Favourite ). Filling out the remainder of the cast are Academy Award nominee Jesse Plemons ( The Power of the Dog ), Academy Award nominee Hong Chau ( The Whale ), Mamoudou Athie ( Elemental ), and Hunter Schafer ( Euphoria ).

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife's demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning and a woman's quest to locate an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide.

Buy on Prime Video

Watch on Hulu

'Borderlands'

Available on : Friday, August 30

'Borderlands' Review: This Video Game Adaptation Is a Fun But Bumpy Claptrap

Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many, many more star in Eli Roth’s fun but flawed adaptation of the popular video game.

The popular series of video games, Borderlands , gets the feature film treatment, in the latest from director Eli Roth ( Thanksgiving ).

Set on the planet of Pandora ( no, not the one with James Cameron and his Na'vi friends ), bounty hunter Lilith is forced to form a fragile alliance with a ragtag team of misfits in order to find the missing daughter of Atlas, who just so happens to be the most powerful man in the universe. There's the no-nonsense Roland, a mercenary soldier, the teenage demolitions expert Tiny Tina, her protector Krieg, the mad scientist Dr. Tannis, and the annoying yet lovable robot Claptrap.

Borderlands features a star-studded cast including two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett ( Tár ), Kevin Hart ( Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ), Jack Black ( School of Rock ), Ariana Greenblatt ( Barbie ), Florian Munteanu ( Creed II ), Edgar Ramírez ( The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story ), Gina Gershon ( Showgirls ), Haley Bennett ( The Girl on the Train ), Bobby Lee ( Mad TV ), Olivier Richters ( Black Widow ), Janina Gavankar ( The Morning Show ), and Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis ( Everything Everywhere All at Once ).

Borderlands

A feature film based on the popular video game set on the abandoned fictional planet of Pandora where people search for a mysterious relic.

'Harold and the Purple Crayon'

Available on : Tuesday, August 27

'Harold and the Purple Crayon' Review: Zachary Levi Capably Unleashes Magical Havoc

Whatever you thought this adaptation would be, think again.

Based on the beloved 1955 children's book of the same name by Crockett Johnson , Harold and the Purple Crayon isn't a direct adaptation of its source material, and instead serves as a sequel.

Harold has now grown up, and after his narrator suddenly vanishes, he decides to take matters into his own hands by drawing a portal to the real world to look for him alongside his two best friends, Moose and Porcupine. However, the real world is much more complicated than Harold could ever imagine, and he must learn the harsh truth: not everything can be solved with a magical purple crayon. Harold and his friends aren't alone for very long, and they quickly befriend a young boy named Mel and his mother Terri. When an evil librarian gets ahold of Harold's magic, the friends must work together to get Harold home.

Academy Award nominee Carlos Saldanha ( Ferdinand ) directs the family adventure movie which stars Zachary Levi ( Shazam! ), Lil Rel Howery ( Get Out ), Jemaine Clement ( What We Do in the Shadows ), Tanya Reynolds ( Sex Education ), Benjamin Bottani ( Leo ), Alfred Molina ( Spider-Man 2 ), and Zooey Deschanel ( New Girl ).

Harold and the Purple Crayon

A young boy named Harold embarks on a magical mission with the help of his purple crayon

'Trap'

'Trap' Review: M. Night Shyamalan Gets in His Own Way in Josh Hartnett-Led Thriller

Hartnett excels as a father/serial killer, but Shyamalan can't build tension in the way this film needs.

Academy Award nominee M. Night Shyamalan , the mind behind The Sixth Sense , Split , and Signs , returns with another thrilling tale: Trap .

Philadelphia firefighter Cooper Adams is trying his best to be a good dad to his teenage daughter Riley, who has recently had a falling out with her friends at school. As a reward for her good grade, Cooper takes Riley to a concert for the ultra-famous pop star Lady Raven. However, Cooper becomes increasingly on edge when he starts to notice an increased police presence at the concert venue, and the fact that they're questioning nearly every single adult male in attendance isn't helping his nerves either. After charming a vendor, Cooper is informed that the FBI received a tip that a notorious serial killer known as the Butcher is in attendance, and that the entire concert is being used as a trap to catch him. The catch: Cooper is the Butcher, and now he must figure out a way to escape without being caught.

Trap stars Josh Hartnett ( Oppenheimer ), Ariel Donoghue ( Wolf Like Me ), Saleka Night Shyamalan , Hayley Mills ( Pollyanna ), and Alison Pill ( Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ).

Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner. 

'The Deliverance'

'The Deliverance' Review: Netflix Horror Draws From 'The Exorcist' and 'The Conjuring'

Lee Daniels' latest film puts a unique spin on ghosts.

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Lee Daniels ( Precious ) ventures into the horror genre with his latest film, The Deliverance .

Inspired by true events, the film follows single mother Ebony Jackson, who moves her family to a new home in hopes of getting the fresh start that they need. Ebony's children start exhibiting strange and unusual behavior, which alerts Child Protective Services, putting the family into further turmoil. However, Ebony begins to learn that something supernatural is going on, leading her to call in an exorcist.

The Deliverance stars Academy Award nominee Andra Day ( The United States vs. Billie Holiday ), Academy Award nominee Glenn Close ( Fatal Attraction ), Academy Award winner Mo'Nique ( Precious ), Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor ( King Richard ), Anthony B. Jenkins ( Never Let Go ), Caleb McLaughlin ( Stranger Things ), Demi Singleton ( King Richard ), and Omar Epps ( House ).

The Deliverance (2024)

A woman returns to her childhood home to confront dark secrets from her past. As supernatural forces emerge and family tensions rise, she must uncover the truth behind her haunting visions and protect her loved ones from an ancient evil threatening their lives.

Watch on Netflix

'The Fall Guy'

'The Fall Guy' Review: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt Lead a Moviemaking Lover’s Dream

Get ready as this action ride is here to kick off the summer blockbuster season early.

It's a Barbenheimer reunion as Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling ( Barbie ) and Emily Blunt ( Oppenheimer ) team up for the romantic action-comedy The Fall Guy .

Loosely based on the 80s ABC series of the same name starring Lee Majors , the movie follows former stuntman Colt Seavers, who left the filmmaking industry after being badly injured in a traumatic accident on set. Colt is called back onto the field when things go awry on the set of his ex, Jody Moreno's directorial debut, as the movie's erratic star, Tom Ryder, has gone missing. Colt becomes reacquainted with his former flame and is soon engulfed in a conspiracy surrounding Tom's disappearance.

David Leitch , the filmmaker behind Bullet Train and Deadpool 2 , directs the movie, which also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson ( Bullet Train ), Winston Duke ( Black Panther ), Hannah Waddingham ( Ted Lasso ), Teresa Palmer ( Lights Out ), and Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu ( Everything Everywhere All at Once ).

The Fall Guy

Colt Seavers is a stuntman who left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health. He's drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie, which is being directed by his ex, goes missing.

Watch on Peacock

'The Watchers'

'The Watchers' Review: Ishana Night Shyamalan’s Horror Movie Is a Nepo Nightmare

The Summer of Shyamalan is off to a rocky start.

Trap isn't the only movie from the Shyamalan family heading to streaming this week. After debuting on PVOD earlier this summer, Ishana Night Shyamalan 's feature directorial debut The Watchers is making its way to Max.

Based on the novel of the same name by A.M. Shine , the supernatural horror film follows Mina, an American artist, and immigrant in Ireland, still grieving the death of her mother over a decade prior. While traveling for an assignment, Mina becomes lost in the woods and finds what she thinks to be shelter, occupied by three mysterious strangers. Mina soon learns that this shelter is being used by a species of supernatural creatures who observe all their movements.

The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning ( Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ), Georgina Campbell ( Barbarian ), Olwen Fouéré ( The Northman ), and Oliver Finnegan ( Outlander ).

The Watchers

Follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, as she gets stranded in an extensive, immaculate forest in western Ireland. After finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night.

Watch on Max

'A Quiet Place: Day One'

'A Quiet Place: Day One' Review: Lupita Nyong'o & Joseph Quinn Elevate Horror Prequel

The third movie in the A Quiet Place franchise takes the story back to the very beginning.

The third installment in the successful sci-fi horror franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One , as the title suggests, takes things back to the very beginning.

Set in Manhattan, Day One focuses on Sam, a cancer patient who has been spending her last days in hospice. Sam ends up tagging along to a group outing to the city, in hopes of fulfilling her dying wish, but things take a devastating turn when alien creatures with hyper-sensitive hearing crashland onto the streets of New York, causing chaos and violence wherever they lurk. Accompanied by a new ally, Eric, and her therapy cat, Frodo, Sam must use her wits and her new companions in order to survive.

Michael Sarnoski ( Pig ) directs the prequel, taking over from John Krasinski , who helmed the previous two installments and serves as a producer on the film. The film stars Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o ( 12 Years a Slave ), Joseph Quinn ( Stranger Things ), Alex Wolff ( Hereditary ), and Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou , reprising his role from A Quiet Place Part II .

A Quiet Place: Day One

Experience the day the world went quiet.

Watch on Paramount+

'Sasquatch Sunset'

Available Now (through Paramount+ With Showtime)

'Sasquatch Sunset' Review: Jesse Eisenberg Is Bigfoot. What More Do You Need to Know?

Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough play sasquatches in the earnest and extremely strange new film from David and Nathan Zellner.

From Nathan & David Zellner , the directing duo behind Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter and several episodes of The Curse , comes one of the most absurd, surreal, weird, raunchy, yet heartfelt movies you'll see all year: Sasquatch Sunset .

Riley Keough ( Daisy Jones and the Six ), Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg ( The Social Network ), Christophe Zajac-Denek ( Twin Peaks: The Return ), and Nathan Zellner star as a family of sasquatches. The film plays out over the course of a year, capturing the unlikely family's daily lives as they experience love, loss, and the beauty of nature.

Sasquatch Sunset

A year in the life of a unique family. It captures the daily life of the Sasquatch with a level of detail and rigor that is simply unforgettable.

• Back to Focus on the Family Podcast Network

Movie Review: Twisters

This sequel to 1996’s Twister is exactly what you’d expect: raging tornadoes, nonstop action and a sweet (if predictable) romance. 

Read the Plugged In Review

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