Movie · 2025 · Adventure, Animation, Family, Science Fiction · 1h 29m · PG · French
Curator score: 7.3/10 (121.3K ratings)
What if rainbows were people from the future traveling in time?
Overview
Ten-year-old Arco lives in a far future. During his first flight in his rainbow suit, he loses control and falls into the past. Iris, a girl his age from 2075, comes to his rescue and tries by any means to help send him back to his own era.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.3/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.89/5
Metacritic: 73
TMDB: 7.5/10
Director
Ugo Bienvenu
Production
Remembers, MountainA, France 3 Cinéma, Fit Via Vi, Sons of Rigor Films
Cast
Margot Ringard Oldra, Oscar Tresanini, Nathanaël Perrot, Alma Jodorowsky, Swann Arlaud, Vincent Macaigne, Louis Garrel, William Lebghil, Sophie Mas, Frédérique Cantrel, Oxmo Puccino, Joséphine Mancini, Jean Boucault, Johnny Rasse, Audrey Tondre, Félix de Givry, Robinson Fyot, Anaëlle Saba, Benoît Galland, Pierre Picq
Where to watch
Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict
A visually confident, future-leaning animated adventure with warmth, optimism, and a strong sense of wonder. It sounds especially appealing for viewers who like heartfelt sci-fi, kid-led time-travel stories, and animation that wears its influences proudly while still feeling emotionally sincere.
Best for
families with older kids
fans of optimistic science fiction
viewers who like lyrical animation
people who enjoy time-travel adventures
audiences drawn to friendship-driven stories
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted story with every idea fully explored
you prefer darker or more cynical sci-fi
you are looking for high-complexity worldbuilding over emotional simplicity
you dislike films that lean heavily on familiar animation influences
Overview
Arco looks like the kind of animated sci-fi that trusts wonder first and explanation second. The setup is simple and appealing: a child from the future falls into the past, and another child tries to help him get home. That gives the film a clean emotional engine, while the reviews suggest a world rich in visual invention and a tone that balances playfulness with genuine feeling.
Worth noting
What stands out most is the optimism. The future here seems less like a warning than a place shaped by loneliness, care, and the absence of traditional family structures, which gives the story a subtle emotional edge. Even when the plotting feels a little rushed or underexplored, the animation and atmosphere appear strong enough to carry the experience.
Bottom line
This is the sort of film that can win over kids with dinosaurs, robots, and rainbow-suit spectacle, while giving adults enough thematic texture to stay engaged. It may not be the most intricate sci-fi fantasy of its kind, but it sounds heartfelt, imaginative, and easy to recommend to viewers who want a gentle, hopeful adventure.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ali (3.5★) · 3985 likes
dares to ask the question “what if Miyazaki did not hate birds.” also for some reason arco is wearing what I can only describe as an LGBTQ+ allyship hijab
FilmSlop review here
foomaj (3.5★) · 2702 likes
every movie needs 3 goofy team rocket-like grunts chasing the main characters around
Annaïg (3.5★) · 2323 likes
Elles sont hilarantes les totally Spies
Ryan McQuade (3★) · 2106 likes
If you like Ponyo and Interstellar, this one is for you.
James (Schaffrillas) (4★) · 1666 likes
Was genuinely shocked to find out that none of those three guys were voiced by Jason Mantzoukas