Critic Reviews

This is a time travel fable that feeds the heart as much as the brain, tipping its hat to sci-fi favorites as well as masters of animation from Walt Disney to Hayao Miyazaki. It’s an imaginative treat.

Thrilling because it puts the future in the hands of the young. “Arco” dares to imagine a fate for them, somewhere over the rainbow.

The sheer earnestness of director Ugo Bienvenu’s elegiac, even mournful tale feels as appealingly anachronistic as its lush 2D animation.

When Arco comes to its inevitable “E.T.” Inspired conclusion, the wondrous score by Arnaud Toulon may have you this close to shedding a tear. And you’ll wonder if this future is truly only an animated dream.

When Arco comes to its inevitable “E.T.” Inspired conclusion, the wondrous score by Arnaud Toulon may have you this close to shedding a tear. And you’ll wonder if this future is truly only an animated dream.

With his debut feature, Arco, Ugo Bienvenu puts a unique, thought-provoking twist on the solarpunk genre.

From its narrative that blends so many ideas exquisitely, to the gratifying characters and narrative arcs, to the absolutely stunning animation style, Arco is quite possibly the best animated film of the year.

The film aims to inspire action and stave off despair with a reminder that the most powerful tool younger generations can wield is their imagination.

A gorgeously crafted tale of time travel, Arco fills two sci-fi futures with hope like if Miyazaki had made Interstellar.

In its gorgeous animation and stylization of motion blur, Arco pleads us to return to a time when we dreamt about the future as hidden through fluffy clouds and resplendent rainbows.