Onward is a 2020 animated fantasy film produced Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Dan Scanlon, the film explores themes of family, loss, and the bond between brothers through an engaging adventure set in a world where magic once existed but has faded into the background of everyday life.

Set in a suburban fantasy world where mythical creatures live mundane, modern lives, Onward follows two teenage brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, respectively. The brothers live in the city of New Mushroomton, where technology has replaced magic over time.

On Ian’s 16th birthday, his mother (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) reveals that their late father had left them a magical staff and a spell that could bring him back for one day. Eager to meet their father, the brothers perform the spell, but a mishap leaves only their father’s lower half resurrected. With time running out before the spell expires, Ian and Barley embark on a quest to find the missing component to complete the spell and see their father in full once again.

At its core, Onward is a story about family and personal growth. The film explores the deep bond between Ian, who is shy and unsure of himself, and Barley, who is passionate but a bit reckless. Their journey to find the magic they desperately want to experience together becomes a metaphor for learning to appreciate what you have, even when it’s not what you imagined.