Onward

Year: 2020

Runtime: 102 min

Language: English

Director: Dan Scanlon

Budget: $175M

AdventureDramaFantasyComedyAnimationFamily

Ian and Barley, two elven brothers, set out on a magical quest to spend one last day with their deceased father. Guided by a mystical map, they face numerous challenges and uncover surprising truths along the way. Their mother, noticing their disappearance, teams up with a powerful manticore to rescue them and bring them safely back home in this heartwarming story about family, love, and adventure.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Onward yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Onward (2020)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Onward (2020). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Location

New Mushroomton, Raven's Point, Manticore's Tavern

New Mushroomton serves as a modern city where technology has replaced much of the magic once prevalent in the realm. Raven's Point, an important mountain in their journey, is shrouded in mystery and home to a collection of raven statues leading to perilous adventures. The Manticore's Tavern, now transformed into a family restaurant, symbolizes how magic has faded from the daily lives of its inhabitants.

🏙️ City 🏔️ Mountain 🍽️ Restaurant

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 18:49

Main Characters – Onward (2020)

Meet the key characters of Onward (2020), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 18:49

Major Themes – Onward (2020)

Explore the central themes of Onward (2020), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 18:49

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Magical Healing Quests like in Onward

Adventurous journeys where grief propels a magical search for closure.Discover movies like Onward where characters embark on adventurous, often magical, journeys to cope with grief and connect with lost loved ones. These stories balance heartfelt emotion with uplifting fantasy adventures, perfect for fans of hopeful and heartwarming quests.

heartwarmingbittersweetmagicaladventurousnostalgicupliftingreflection

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a classic quest structure, but the motivation is deeply emotional: confronting the absence of a loved one. Characters face external challenges that parallel their internal struggles with grief, leading to discoveries that offer not a perfect reversal of loss, but a meaningful, bittersweet resolution and personal growth.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a unique blend of fantastical adventure and emotional depth. They are united by a hopeful tone, a fast-paced quest narrative, and a central theme of using an extraordinary journey to work through ordinary, profound human emotions like grief, resulting in an uplifting yet poignant experience.

Brotherhood Adventure Movies like Onward

Fast-paced journeys where brothers bond and grow through shared challenges.If you liked the brotherly bond in Onward, explore these movies about siblings on a journey. These fast-paced adventures focus on teamwork, differing personalities clashing and uniting, and the powerful theme of family, perfect for viewers seeking fun and heartfelt stories about brothers.

funnyheartwarmingadventurousupliftingcoming of agefamilyteamwork

Narrative Summary

The plot is a linear journey that forces two siblings with contrasting personalities to work together. Through a series of comedic misadventures and genuine perils, they learn to appreciate each other's strengths, resolve old tensions, and discover their individual identities, all while striving for a common goal.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their central focus on the sibling relationship as the engine for both comedy and drama. They typically feature a fast pace, a mix of humor and heartfelt moments, and a narrative where the external adventure directly catalyzes internal character growth and stronger familial bonds.

Unlock the Full Story of Onward

Don't stop at just watching — explore Onward in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Onward is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Onward Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Onward, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Onward Timeline

Track the full timeline of Onward with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Onward Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Onward that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

More About Onward

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Onward: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

Similar Movies to Onward

Discover movies like Onward that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.