Luca (2021)
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A young sea monster boy discovers the wonders of the human world during a summer on the Italian Riviera.
The story
In the summer of the 1950s, a timid sea monster child named Luca Paguro lives in the waters off the coast of the Italian town of Portorosso. While his parents warn him that the human world is dangerous, Luca meets Alberto, a fellow sea monster who shows him how they can take on human forms when dry. The two boys become fast friends and embark on a life-changing summer adventure. They explore the town, dream of owning a Vespa, and eventually team up with a local girl, Giulia, to enter a triathlon to win the prize money for their dream ride.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
During a summer in the 1950s, Luca Paguro, a young sea monster who can appear human on land, meets Alberto Scorfano, a fellow sea monster. The two become inseparable friends who dream of owning a Vespa. When Luca's parents fear he will be caught by humans, they try to send him away, but he flees to Portorosso to stay with Alberto. They join forces with a local girl, Giulia, to compete in the Portorosso Cup, a triathlon. During the competition, they face off against the local bully, Ercole. After a series of events where their identities are nearly exposed, the truth of their nature is revealed to the town. Following a final race where they both reveal their forms to save one another, the townspeople accept them. Luca eventually moves to a new city to attend school with Giulia, while Alberto is adopted by Giulia's father, Massimo. The film concludes with the boys and their new families promising to stay in touch.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Enrico Casarosa
- Writers
- Jesse Andrews · screenplay; Mike Jones · screenplay; Enrico Casarosa · story; Jesse Andrews · story; Simon Stephenson · story
- Cast and characters
- Jacob Tremblay · Luca Paguro; Jack Dylan Grazer · Alberto Scorfano; Emma Berman · Giulia Marcovaldo; Saverio Raimondo · Ercole Visconti; Maya Rudolph · Daniela Paguro; Marco Barricelli · Massimo Marcovaldo; Jim Gaffigan · Lorenzo Paguro
- Genres
- animated; fantasy; comedy
- Themes
- friendship; self-acceptance
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; heartwarming
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; fantasy; adventure
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was the most-viewed streaming film of 2021.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 52
- Awards and nominations
- Best Animated Feature Film · Golden Globe Awards · 79th · Nomination; Best Animated Feature Film · Academy Awards · 94th · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The sea monsters are a metaphor for feeling different.; The film's design was inspired by hand-drawn and stop motion works and Hayao Miyazaki's style.; The film's production was done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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