Can fire and water meet without catastrophe? Elemental, the Disney–Pixar film by Peter Sohn, is airing on Gulli on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 9:05 PM. Released in French theaters on June 21, 2023, it builds a romantic comedy around two residents of Element City whose very bodies seem to block any closeness.
Flam hails from a fire clan, while Flack is a boy of water. Their meeting upends Flam’s routines and the role she thought she was meant to play among her people. In the French version, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Vincent Lacoste play this pair, in a city also populated by beings of earth and air.
Before you dive into the editors' review published at the film's theatrical release, check out the trailer for the movie.
Editor's take, published on the film’s theatrical release
In Element City, the elements—fire, water, earth and air—live in near-perfect harmony. That harmony, of course, depends on everyone staying in their lane. Because the elements don’t always mix well, and cohabitation can blow up in a hurry. It’s in this city, a clear echo of New York, that Flam, a bold, quick-witted young woman with a will of steel, and Flack, a sentimental, funny, somewhat follow-the-leader guy, cross paths. Their meeting kickstarts a cascade of catastrophes—and, above all, a remarkable love story.
Pixar breaks new ground here with its first ever romantic comedy. It quickly becomes clear that Flam and Flack’s bond goes beyond friendship. It’s a rare move for a kids’ film and—while not always subtle—delivers genuine, heart-mementing charm. There’s no grand originality in the “forbidden love between opposites” premise, but as with many Pixar films, there’s a subtext: Elemental tackles racism and the longing for social and racial mixing (Flam’s family is immigrant and poor, while Flack’s world reflects an entrenched art-view bourgeoisie).
If the premise doesn’t instantly grab you, at least surrender to the film’s sumptuous animation. A pioneer in CGI, Pixar once again proves it leaves its competitors light-years behind on the visual front. Elemental brims with dazzling visuals, and the peak comes in a jaw-dropping basketball-inspired sequence—essentially, the sport as it exists in Elemental’s world. It showcases the endless possibilities for these elemental characters and how the film playfully animates bodies of fire, water, plants and air—very much in the spirit of Monsters, Inc.
Each elemental race is drawn with a distinct style, giving the whole a quirky, striking feel. Much like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the characters in Elemental look as if they belong to entirely different films, and you’ll almost wish for a standalone movie about their daily lives. True, the fire and water leads take center stage, but the plant and wind characters don’t feel as fully explored.
At release, the film was preceded by the short Carl’s Date, a true ten-minute marvel. As proved by the opening of Up, Pixar can move you in record time, and this Carl-centered short once again sets a high emotional bar. Given its brevity, we won’t spoil anything else—just note it’s a concentrated rush of emotion!
To continue your Pixar journey, also check out Vice-Versa 2 and Soul, followed by our week's TV picks.
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