Arco
Neon | Release Date: January 23, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Washington PostChris KlimekJan 30, 2026
The sheer earnestness of director Ugo Bienvenu’s elegiac, even mournful tale feels as appealingly anachronistic as its lush 2D animation. Read full review
88
The Associated PressJake CoyleJan 28, 2026
Thrilling because it puts the future in the hands of the young. “Arco” dares to imagine a fate for them, somewhere over the rainbow. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeChris VognarJan 27, 2026
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. Read full review
83
The Film StageOliver WeirNov 14, 2025
With his debut feature, Arco, Ugo Bienvenu puts a unique, thought-provoking twist on the solarpunk genre. Read full review
83
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodNov 4, 2025
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. Read full review
83
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodNov 3, 2025
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. Read full review
80
Little White LiesMichael LeaderMar 18, 2026
This is primary-colour, major-key storytelling. It is disarming, charming and unafraid to be sincere – especially when it comes to the sparks of inspiration, creativity and connection that are so fundamental to human existence. Read full review
80
EmpireJohn NugentMar 16, 2026
A special sort of film, one which can be enjoyed as a dark climate-change allegory and a bright, colourful, emotional yarn on friendship and family. Fantastique! Read full review
80
VarietyCarlos AguilarFeb 10, 2026
Arco looks at once fantastical and recognizable, removed just enough from what we know in our present, but grounded on familiar, childlike amazement. Read full review
80
Screen RantGregory NussenNov 14, 2025
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. Read full review
80
IGNClint GageNov 14, 2025
A gorgeously crafted tale of time travel, Arco fills two sci-fi futures with hope like if Miyazaki had made Interstellar. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeNov 2, 2025
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. Read full review
80
ColliderRoss BonaimeOct 31, 2025
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. Read full review
75
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenDec 27, 2025
The result is a sci-fi fantasy that’s part Fantastic Planet and part Miyazaki. Read full review
75
The Travers TakePeter TraversNov 14, 2025
There’s a timely message in this animated beauty about a time-traveling 10-year-old boy who dreams of the dinosaur era but lands in 2075 instead. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comIsaac Feldberg Nov 14, 2025
With its emanant sense of imaginative potential, Arco encourages you, for a time, to believe. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineJustin ClarkNov 11, 2025
Arco is a children’s adventure set in world that’s literally on fire, which makes the moments of childlike wonder and connection all the more endearing and vital. Read full review
71
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiNov 15, 2025
A sweet, immersive glimpse at two of our futures, and it’s clear-eyed about which aspects of those worlds we want to avoid, and which ones we have to pursue. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJan 23, 2026
At its best, when theme and visuals are in sync, Arco has the easy charm of something half-remembered from one’s cartoon-packed youth: beguilingly earnest and awkward in equal measure. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaNov 13, 2025
Like a cross between a Studio Ghibli joint and “Interstellar,” Arco, by the French comic-book artist turned filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu, strikes a lovely balance between fantastical kid-friendly wholesomeness and real-world bleakness. Read full review
70
Screen DailyWendy IdeNov 3, 2025
The third act action is propulsive and stylishly executed, and the film’s conclusion has a bittersweet poignancy. And while Arco’s journey is not an unexpected one, the film’s optimistic endpoint brings a welcome note of hope. Read full review
70
Next Best PictureAnna MillerNov 3, 2025
With its childlike perspective, it explores themes of hope, empathy, and the consequences of progress, set against a visually stunning backdrop rendered in vibrant colors and imaginative design. Read full review
67
IndieWireChristian BlauveltNov 3, 2025
Bienvenu comes up with a stirring ending, one so emotional it almost paves over the bumps in the narrative road that got us there. Read full review
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenMar 18, 2026
Director Bienvenu, who also voices helpful robot Mikki in the French version, has crafted a family film that’s offbeat and full of heart. Read full review
60
The GuardianLeslie FelperinMar 18, 2026
For a film about the inevitable eradication of most life on Earth, Arco isn’t as depressing as you might expect, as it finds a tiny thread of optimism to hold on to. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerJan 29, 2026
The result is something that feels like an adult’s idea of a sophisticated kids’ movie, its sense of adventure and imagination overruled and undercut by its tone of mature melancholy. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithJan 23, 2026
That mildness is characteristic of the film, which is colorful to look at but dull. The story is plodding, the characters are boring and earnest, and the supposed comic-relief act provided by the trio of stumblebums on Arco’s trail is a wince-inducing failure. Read full review
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