I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of the English-dubbed version of Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco. My second-row seat left me with a stiff neck for a few hours, but the film more than made up for my discomfort. Based off of the trailers and stills, I had braced myself for a kind of Ghibli pastiche. Instead Arco turned out to be a gorgeously animated work that’s far more mature, introspective, and quietly philosophical than I’d anticipated.
10-year-old Arco (Juliano Valdi) lives in the year 2932. He lives in the sky with his family who uses rainbows to travel through time. But, because Arco is only 10, he is not allowed to. So one day, his impatience gets the better of him and steals his sister’s rainbow, time travel robe to go see the dinosaurs. However, time travel is more difficult than he imagined as he winds up stranded in the year 2075, where he meets Iris (Romy Fay). Together, they work against the clock to get Arco back to his family before it is too late.
From the opening moments, Arco draws you into a world that feels both alien and deeply familiar as a sense of wonder washes over you as it balances beauty with curiosity. The animation is nothing short of arresting as Bienvenu’s vision of the future unfolds with confidence that feels both painterly and cinematic. While it is easy to see Ghibli’s DNA in the film’s texture, Arco never falls into imitation as Bienvenu channels his background as an illustrator to craft something distinctly of his own.
Every frame is deliberate and every color is chosen with intention. The film’s palette bursts with soft pastels and clean, hard-edged contours that give its character and environment a sculptural quality . It illuminates a future that feels tactile, built, yet impossibly far away. It’s the kind of visual that makes you wonder what goes on beyond the screen as Beinvenu doesn’t just imagine the future, he renders one that feels lived in, fragile, and strangely human.
However, what caught me off guard about Arco was how mature it was. For a film that is aimed at children, it doesn’t shy away from heavy themes such as climate change, parental absence, and the uneasy intersection of technology and caregiving. Yet, Bienvenu handles these themes with the kind of grace that makes them accessible without ever talking down to his audience. It’s a rare animation feat that the film engages with both children and adults. By the time the film reaches its conclusion, I was stunned as the film fully commits to the consequences of Arco’s actions. It’s an ending that feels both inevitable and devastating in its honesty. It left me both shaken and impressed.
Arco is one of those rare animated films that is accessible as it is mature. It’s visually stunning, emotionally grounded, and quietly daring with its thematic exploration. Bienvenu has crafted something that feels timeless yet distinctly of this moment as it is a story about the future that is meant to reflect the present. It is beautiful and melancholic, as it invites you to dream , reflect and even ache a little. I walked in expecting a charming film, but what I got was something truly special.
My Rating: A-
Coming to theaters November 14th.
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